Mathematical Ability of Bugis Community in Designing 'Lipa' Sabbe of Sengkang'

This research is an ethnomathematical research that aims to explore the mathematical abilities of the Bugis people in weaving the "lipa' sabbe." This study applies a qualitative method with an ethnographic approach. The data were collected through observation, interviews, and documentation. Based on the results, it can be explained that in the process of weaving silk, the craftsmen combine the techniques of counting, designing, placing, and measuring as mathematical activity to produce various motifs. The weaver's ability to count and design motifs produces geometric planes that are transformed through a combination of reflection, translation, and dilatation. In making visualized motifs resembling curved planes such as the "lagosi" motif, the "phinisi" or the "batumesang" motif, they are approximated by using a collection of rectangular pixels from the arrangement of warp, weft and other motif yarns such as gold or viscose. The redesign of the silk motif uses the the number patterns identified on the arrangement of the yarns. In algebra, the "lipa' sabbe" motif can be represented by a set of constant functions, parallel linear functions, or degree-n polynomial. The results of this study indicate that the mathematical concepts in "lipa' sabbe" motifs are not only in the form of geometric concepts, but also include the concepts of number pattern, and algebra. Based on the manufacturing process and the resulting motifs indicate that the craftsmen have unique mathematical abilities.