Abstract
The paper traces the gradual adoption of squared paper from its exclusive use as a research tool in the early 19th century to its universal use for a variety of purposes in mathematical education by the end of the first decade of this century. Three underlying causal factors are explored—the growth of new educational philosophies; the development of science teaching and the associated need for mathematics correlation; and the growing demands of engineering and technical education. Whilst the focus on squared paper is a narrow one, it is argued that its adoption in education generally was symptomatic of a much wider transformation of mathematical curricula in response to various demands which, significantly, arose outside the academic mathematical community.
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Brock, W.H., Price, M.H. Squared paper in the nineteenth century: Instrument of science and engineering, and symbol of reform in mathematical education. Educational Studies in Mathematics 11, 365–381 (1980). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00231211
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00231211