Mathematics : History And Mathematics

Mathematics is a logical and precise subject. Without precision in math everything is imprecise. A modest inaccuracy can produce a catastrophe. For example, if a doctor fails to calculate the correct amount of medicine to give a patient, it could result in a serious complication, such as death. A further example is the logic and precision it takes to construct a building. If there is one minor miscalculation the whole building could collapse, causing mass destruction.

Today, there are many things that are important in life. We should know how to solve equations, speak at least one world language, such as English or Spanish, and know at least some history, like what happened during the Great Depression and what caused it. Many people just memorize the facts to pass the tests and then shove the facts into the back of their memory to eventually be forgotten. At the time this idea seems good because we won’t use this information in the future, right? Wrong, knowing what happened in the past is actually just as important as what is going on today and what will happen in the future.

Looking up the definition of mathematics you will get the simple definition, “the abstract science of number, quantity, and space”. I believe the definition of mathematics to be more than this. I believe mathematics is study of science using basic rules or truths, such as truth 1 + 1 = 2, applying these rules in different ways, since 1 + 1 = 2, we can expand on that and say 1 x 2 = 2, and then extrapolating upon those rules. We then can use these rules to apply and make models to represent the world we live in. Some of these models are used in engineering and physics where using these rules of mathematics to then design structures such as bridges, sky-scrapers, and roads.

It is the backbone of all other subjects, such as English, science, math, government, even world languages. Historical knowledge provides the groundwork for all literature, it is vital in order to understand references and allusions, as well as to grasp the point of view an author is writing from. In essence, you can read a novel a hundred times, but you will never be able to fully appreciate it if you have no connection to the deeply rooted historical background of the plot. Then there are scientific discoveries. Who made them? Where did those scientists come from? What culture led to the discoveries? What war brought about the creating of nuclear bombs? What were the thought processes of the scientific geniuses? All these questions have answers that can be found through the study of history. Next, is the application for math, the Pythagorean theorem, the geometric knowledge gained from Euclid, the Greeks and Romans and how their past brought them to be mathematicians. These people and their mathematical work are part of history. Even the development of different forms of government is a direct result of the experiences of different cultures, and their gifted philosophers. Language itself has survived and adapted because of wars, conquered nations, and the changing borders of countries. The languages that have survived through to modern day have made it because of historical

Instruct all student in the mathematical genre, above high school level. (college level) As well organize and carry out research ; as well as, publish book and or scholarly papers. Some other duties include: teaching courses, plan lessons and assignments,

I learned a lot about the history of mathematics. Specially from the discussion about mathematics controversies. It is very interesting to read other people’s posting, which helps me to evaluate my thoughts and learn more.

African mathematics has been around for thousands of years. Africa is known to be the country that takes part in the earliest use of mathematics that includes both measuring and calculating. Africa is also one of the places where both basic and advanced mathematics were originated. Much of the math that is used by human beings today was used a long time ago in Africa. Math such as algebra and geometry that are used by us today, were used by the Africans back then. African math was then transferred to other countries through migration out of Africa and invasions of Africa by Europe and Asia. Over 3,500 years have passed since the origination of African mathematic. Branching from that has been many inventions that have made improvements in the way we as Americans see math. Inventions such as the Ishango tally stick and the Lembambo tally stick, which were used as one of the first counting tools. When found, the bone only had 29 markings engraved into the Lebombo bone. This bone is about 35,000 years old, and is said to probably have been used to keep track of lunar or menstrual cycles, or could have been used for something as simple as just a measuring stick. The Lebombo bone is actually the fibula bone of a baboon and was used as a device associated with the moon, time, and math.

Unlike geometry, algebra was not developed in Europe. Algebra was actually discovered (or developed) in the Arab countries along side geometry. Many mathematicians worked and developed the system of math to be known as the algebra of today. European countries did not obtain information on algebra until relatively later years of the 12th century. After algebra was discovered in Europe, mathematicians put the information to use in very remarkable ways. Also, algebraic and geometric ways of thinking were considered to be two separate parts of math and were not unified until the mid 17th century.

Mathematics, study of relationships among quantities, magnitudes, and properties and of logical operations by which unknown quantities, magnitudes, and properties may be deduced. In the past, mathematics was regarded as the science of quantity, whether of magnitudes, as in geometry, or of numbers, as in arithmetic, or of the generalization of these two fields, as in algebra. Toward the middle of the 19th century, however, mathematics came to be regarded increasingly as the science of relations, or as the science that draws necessary conclusions. This latter view encompasses mathematical or symbolic logic, the science of using symbols to provide an exact theory of logical deduction and inference based on

In today’s society mathematics is a vital part of day-to-day life. No matter what a person is doing at home or at the workplace, he/she is constantly using different mathematics skills to simply function. Then what does this mean for mathematics education? When someone needs to utilize a skill every day then he/she needs a strong background in the skill. Therefore, today’s students need more than a just a working knowledge of mathematics or enough knowledge to pass a test. Today’s students need to understand how mathematics works and how to utilize mathematics skills in the best way possible.

A philosophy of mathematics should be included in an excellent philosophy of education. A philosophy of mathematics should include your thoughts and ideas about what mathematics education is, what impact it has on society, the qualities that make a good teacher, a teacher’s role, research on the standards and instructional strategies, and ways to ensure student are able to learn mathematic concepts in your classroom. Each of these ideas should forever be evolving because we grow as teachers our thought and ideas will grow. I will be discussing my thoughts and ideas on what creates an excellent philosophy of mathematics.

What is mathematics? What is the distinct definition for it? Something that always has bewildered me is what maths really is.

Mathematics, like every creation of man, have evolved without really knowing how far you can get with them: the scope of the computer, physics, chemistry, algebra, all are evidence of this. Every aspect of our culture is based in some way or another in Mathematics: language, music, dance, art, sculpture, architecture, biology, daily life. All these areas of measurements and calculations are accurate. Even in nature, everything follows a precise pattern and a precise order: a flower, a shell, a butterfly, day and night, the seasons. All this makes mathematics essential for human life and they can not be limited only to a matter within the school curriculum; here lies the importance of teaching math in a pleasure, enjoyable and understandable way. Mathematics is an aid to the development of the child and should be seen as an aid to life and not as an obstacle in their lifes.

Mathematics is a type of reasoning. Thinking mathematically includes thinking in a rational way, developing and checking conjectures, understanding things, and forming and validating judgments, reasoning, and conclusions. We show mathematical habits when we acknowledge and explain patterns, build physical and theoretical models of sensations, develop sign systems to assist us stand for, control, and review concepts, and create treatments to address issues (Battista, 1999).

Mathematics is the one of the most important subjects in our daily life and in most human activities the knowledge of mathematics is important. In the rapidly changing world and in the era of technology, mathematics plays an essential role. To understand the mechanized world and match with the newly developing information technology knowledge in mathematics is vital. Mathematics is the mother of all sciences. Without the knowledge of mathematics, nothing is possible in the world. The world cannot progress without mathematics. Mathematics fulfills most of the human needs related to diverse aspects of everyday life. Mathematics has been accepted as significant element of formal education from ancient period to the present day. Mathematics has a very important role in the classroom not only because of the relevance of the syllabus material, but because of the reasoning processes the student can develop.