The Developement of Mathematics Essay

One of the exceptional Mayan achievement was their number system. The numbers were represented by dots, lines, and shapes that

Among the many scholars working in the House of Wisdom, there was Al-Khawarizmi, known as the father of algebra. Born around 800 in Baghdad, al-Khwarizmi worked in the House of Wisdom as a scholar. Being involved in the center’s translation of ancient scientific knowledge helped him develop a unique knowledge of the accumulated wisdom of the world. His importance lies in his discoveries of mathematical knowledge which was later transferred to Arab and European scholars. His masterpiece, a book of clear explanations of what would become algebra, was his entire life’s work compiled into one collection of information. The word algebra comes from the Arabic word, al-jabr, which means “completion”. In his work, al-Khwarizmi explains the principles of solving linear and quadratic equations, the concept that an equation can be created to find the value of an unknown variable. Another crucial work of al-Khwarizmi’s was The Book on the Art of Reckoning of the Hindus, which introduced the numbering system used in the Islamic culture to the west. This is the numerical system that is still used today and offered many advantages over the existing Roman numerals. An

To begin with, on cultural legacy handed down by rice farmers is the importance of structure. Through structure, the Chinese obtained great math skills. Chinese children learn to count faster because of their numbering system. For example, in Chinese, the number seven is “qi”, that is a difference of

After looking over the symbols they created and how they were simple and understanding, I realized that the Mayans were way ahead of their time. All they used were dots and lines and as a zero, it was just a rugby ball looking thing. Instead of creating 400 different symbols to create just the number 400, they used four symbols and just changed the combination of them differently. Forty used three symbols, one rugby ball symbol and two single dots. Four hundred used three symbols too, two rugby ball looking symbols and just one single dot. By far more the one of the better in complex number systems. Compared to the Aztecs, who had feathers for 400 and finger symbols for 1, the Mayan’s number system was easy, with just dots and lines.

There is an enormous amount of symbolism in the Navajo Creation Story. One important symbol is the number 4. The table below lists several aspects of the story that are related to the number 4.

Based on Document C, "The Maya used a positional system based on the number 20, rather than the number 10, and they were one of the first cultures in the world to develop the idea of the zero". This is an amazing thing for the Mayans to use since they also do a lot of trade. They now have this whole system of numbers (that include some numbers other civilizations didn't have) that they can use during trade. It helps keep track of goods that come and go. The number zero comes in handy here because it shows when no goods come

Just like us, the Mayans had a Number System. The Mayans number system was based on 20 (Doc C). They used different symbols for different numbers. It is very important to have a symbol for zero because it is the place value (Doc C). Making a number system was a genius idea because it really helped out people in the past.

They used a positional system based on the number 20 rather than 10. As Document C shows us, they even had symbols for the numbers 1, 5, and 0 which helped differentiate. They made use of this system by incorporating it into the calendars i talked about earlier. The Mayans were one of the first cultures in the world to develop the idea of the zero. This evidence proves that this achievement was remarkable because it was genius.

Although the west did have its own cultivation of knowledge, the majority of westernized thinking originated in India and other Southern Asian countries. The people of India invented Hindi numerals. Arabs gave these numerals the title, ‘Hindi numbers’. These numerals included the concept of zero and allowed mathematicians to make fast, accurate calculations. Once Arabs had begun using the Indians numerals and concept of zero, Europeans were then introduced to these concepts and called them ‘Arab numerals’. Chinese used Indian mathematical concepts but advanced the ideas which allowed them to expand in that field of knowledge. The methods that the Chinese used based off of the ideas of Indians, shows how methods were spread. Since the

The Asian number system is much more logical than the English number system. The language in the Asian number system is consistent; making it easier to memorize, which may be the reason “Four-year-old Chinese children can count, on average, to forty. American Children at that age can count only to fifteen, and most don’t reach forty until heir five” (Gladwell, 2002, p. 229).

The reason to why their number system is truly their most remarkable achievement is because it would already be hard to make a number and then have to give it a name of what you or anyone would call it. Not only did they make their own number system, but they also understood. It can be very difficult to make your own language or number system and understand it. It is also very remarkable because at their time not a lot of cultures had the knowledge of the zero, they did.

     The mathematics developed by the Maya was a base 20 numbering system. This is similar to the base 10 system we use today. The Maya were able to do this using only three symbols, the dot, the bar, and a symbol for zero.

The Egyptians used sums of unit fractions (a), supplemented by the fraction B, to express all other fractions. For example, the fraction E was the sum of the fractions 3 and *. Using this system, the Egyptians were able to solve all problems of arithmetic that involved fractions, as well as some elementary problems in algebra. In geometry, the Egyptians calculated the correct areas of triangles, rectangles, and trapezoids and the volumes of figures such as bricks, cylinders, and pyramids. To find the area of a circle, the Egyptians used the square on U of the diameter of the circle, a value of about 3.16-close to the value of the ratio known as pi, which is about 3.14. The Babylonian system of numeration was quite different from the Egyptian system. In the Babylonian system-which, when using clay tablets, consisted of various wedge-shaped marks-a single wedge indicated 1 and an arrowlike wedge stood for 10 (see table). Numbers up through 59 were formed from these symbols through an additive process, as in Egyptian mathematics. The number 60, however, was represented by the same symbol as 1, and from this point on a positional symbol was used. That is, the value of one of the first 59 numerals depended henceforth on its position in the total numeral. For example, a numeral consisting of a symbol for 2 followed by one for 27 and ending in one for 10 stood for 2 × 602 + 27 × 60 + 10.

This language, this need, evolved until a registration system that took man to develop the numbers.

Mathematics has contributed to the alteration of technology over many years. The most noticeable mathematical technology is the evolution of the abacus to the many variations of the calculator. Some people argue that the changes in technology have been for the better while others argue they have been for the worse. While this paper does not address specifically technology, this paper rather addresses influential persons in philosophy to the field of mathematics. In order to understand the impact of mathematics, this paper will delve into the three philosophers of the past who have contributed to this academic. In this paper, I will cover the views of three philosophers of mathematics encompassing their