Benjamin Banneker's Original Handwritten Document: Observations and Study of the Cicada

Journal of Humanistic Mathematics

Barber, Janet E.¹  Nkwanta, Asamoah² 

[1] Morgan State University

关键词: Benjamin Banneker;    cicada;    periodic cycle;   

DOI  :  10.5642/jhummath.201401.07

学科分类：卫生学

来源: Cleveland Clinic Educational Foundation

【 摘 要 】

Benjamin Banneker, farmer, mathematician, astronomer, and scientist, is known for his mathematical puzzles, ephemeris calculations, almanacs, his wooden clock, land surveying work, and famous letter on human rights. However, as a naturalist, his scientific and systematic observations of the cicadas are less known. In this paper we publicize Banneker’s naturalistic study of the seventeen-year periodic cycle of the cicada and make available the original handwritten document of his observations. We also introduce the audience of this journal to an intriguing natural problem involving prime numbers.

【 授权许可】

Unknown