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Maths : Invented Or Discovered?

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Maths: Invented or Discovered? Introduction: What is mathematics? What is the distinct definition for it? Something that always has bewildered me is what maths really is. Biology is the study of living organisms, chemistry is the study of chemicals, physics is the study of the universe and its forces, so what is maths the study off? Well the online Oxford Dictionary states that maths is “the abstract science of number, quantity, and space, either as abstract concepts (pure mathematics), or as applied to other disciplines such as physics and engineering ( applied mathematics)”. A more scientifical website states that maths is “the science that deals with the logic of shape, quantity and arrangement”. At school we have been taught that maths is “the study of numbers and arithmetic operations”, or that it is simply “a tool”. An online website (How Science Works) briefly talks about the concepts of maths, writing that maths is “a powerful secret language known to few, mastered by inhuman agents (such as your calculator)”, followed up by “even if we avoid such hyperbole, the fact remains: many of us are mathematically illiterate in a world that runs on math.” There is no concrete definition for what maths is, as it is open to interpretation. It can be seen from various different perspectives and perceived in certain ways. Some people say it is a tool used to solve problems, some say it is a the study of numbers and some may say that it is just a metaphor, a language that

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