Abstract / Synopsis
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.
DOI
10.5642/jhummath.201401.07
Rights Information
© Janet E. Barber and Asamoah Nkwanta
Recommended Citation
Janet E. Barber & Asamoah Nkwanta, "Benjamin Banneker's Original Handwritten Document: Observations and Study of the Cicada," Journal of Humanistic Mathematics, Volume 4 Issue 1 (January 2014), pages 112-122. DOI: 10.5642/jhummath.201401.07. Available at: https://scholarship.claremont.edu/jhm/vol4/iss1/7
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