Marcia Ascher facts for kids
Marcia Alper Ascher (born April 23, 1935 – died August 10, 2013) was an American mathematician. She was a very important person in a field called ethnomathematics. This field looks at how different cultures use math. Marcia Ascher used to be a professor of mathematics at Ithaca College.
Marcia Ascher's Life Story
Marcia Ascher was born in New York City on April 23, 1935. Her father worked with glass, and her mother was a secretary. She went to Queens College, City University of New York. Marcia finished her studies there in 1956.
In the same year, she married Robert Ascher. He was an anthropologist, someone who studies human cultures. They both went on to study more at the University of California, Los Angeles. Marcia earned her master's degree in 1960.
After that, she and Robert moved to Ithaca, New York. Robert had found a job teaching at Cornell University. Marcia joined the math department at Ithaca College in 1960. She was one of the people who helped start the department. She taught there until 1995, when she retired as a full professor. Marcia Ascher passed away on August 10, 2013.
Marcia Ascher's Books
Marcia Ascher wrote several important books about ethnomathematics. This is the study of mathematical ideas from different cultures around the world.
One of her books was called Code of the Quipu: A Study in Media, Mathematics, and Culture. She wrote this book with her husband, Robert Ascher. It was first published in 1981. Later, it was re-released with a new title: Mathematics of the Incas: Code of the Quipu. This book explored the special knot-records used by the ancient Incas.
Marcia Ascher also wrote two other books by herself. The first was Ethnomathematics: A Multicultural View of Mathematical Ideas. This book came out in 1991. Her third book was Mathematics Elsewhere: An Exploration of Ideas across Cultures. It was published in 2002.
All three of her books are highly recommended for college math libraries. Mathematics Elsewhere even won a special award in 2002. It was recognized for being an excellent book in math and statistics.
