With mathematics seemingly being intuitive and the basis of the universe around us it would seem a given that mathematics has always been there, that it is a physical concept which we can completely understand and one that has set rules that cannot change. However this is not the case and we only have to look just over two thousand years into the past to see the use of Roman Numerals, where numbers were represented by letters or four thousand years in the past to see the unrealistic yet beautiful base-60 number system used by the Babylonians to realise that whilst the overall concept is the same, to group things of the same amount together, the way that we express it is vastly different.
To address the question, “To what extent was mathematics invented by humans?” we first need to deal with the most simple concept of mathematics, the natural numbers; 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7.. There is nothing simpler in maths then this, but it took us nearly 165,000 years to even produce a primitive tally stick, the Lebombo bone. Yet it was these numbers more than anything that enabled us to take control of the world around us and let our presence be felt across the globe. But what is a number? It appears to be a fairly easy question yet it is very hard to answer as it is not shown in the physical world, it is an abstraction, a human mental concept, one that is derived from reality but is not actually real, but one which allowed humans to develop and discover new areas of mathematics and
Math is all around us , its everywhere we go . Mathematics is study of quantity and shape
Even though the concept of mathematics has many different ideas of what it is, the concept they are trying to prove is all in one general direction. Everyone sees math as a different set of ideals and theorems to which their work is based and can never truly revolve around one idea which is why the definition of mathematics always appears to be
According to document 4, Al-Khwarizmi, a Muslim mathematician wrote a textbook in the 800’s about algebra which was later adopted throughout Europe. Muslim mathematicians also adopted Arabic numerals from Indians and used them in place-value system. (Doc. 4) These mathematical advances also led to the creation of simple yet complicated structures. Also, after using their observations and their understanding of mathematics, Muslim scholars were able to make an advancement in mapmaking. They used astrolabe and armillary sphere to help study skies and make calculations for calendars and maps. (Doc.
Mathematics is a concept that can be defined as “the systematic treatment of magnitude, relationships between figures and forms, and relations between quantities expressed symbolically” (“The Definition of Language”). As a whole, it is a form of communication. The dictionary definition of language is “a body of words and the systems for their use common to a people who are of the same community or nation, the same geographical area, or the same cultural tradition” (“The Definition of Math”). It is clear that both areas of knowledge require a verbal communication used to connect with other people. Presumably, both mathematics and language need each other to be fully understood. This concept can be seen and proven through Chapter 8: Rice Paddies and Math Test in Malcolm Gladwell’s Outliers as well as a real life situation.
Geometry and Algebra are so crucial to the development of the world it is taught to every public high school in the United States, around 14.8 million teenagers each year (National Center for Education Statistics). Mathematics is the engine powering our world; our stocks, economy, technology, and science are all based off from math. Math is our universal and definite language “I was especially delighted with the mathematics, on account of the certitude and evidence of their reasonings.” (Rene Descartes, 1637).
Islamists wrote many influential books on mathematics of algebra that we still use today. One of the books described how to write numbers in calculations using the place-value decimal system which is what we use today. This concept was developed in India in A.D. 600’s which was translated and adopted by Arabic mathematicians. About 300 years later this book was translated into Latin and it became the major source for European academics to learn the new system. This system is known as the Hindu-Arabic system which is taught to schoolchildren around the world. It’s amazing that a system of calculations was brought to Europe from practically the other side of the world. I wonder how long it would have taken to figure out the same system without Muslim involvement.
To me, math contains elements that make it both physically and mentally beautiful. Leonardo Da Vinci used the golden ratio for the “Vitruvian Man.” The Chinese poet Wen Yiduo created an architecture of orderliness by developing a new form of poetry. Adding word limits in every four lines in a poem, he allowed this new style of poetry to express rhythmic beauty. I’ve always loved math, but as I’ve gotten older I’ve come to appreciate its interdisciplinary nature as well. Math has the ability
The mathematics had been developed for four thousand years, and Muslim inherited mathematics from Egyptian, Mesopotamians, Sumerian and Babylonian. Greek geometry and Hindu arithmetic and algebra reached at an early stage in Muslim lands and were translated in centers such as Gondeshapur and Baghdad. Starting out at intellectual center of Islam, they soon criticizing those concepts and formulation by finding inaccurate and inconsistent information and adapt their own ideas. At the same period in Western Europe, they still use Roman numerals and abacus to calculate numbers. The Babylonian already had concept of bases sixty computation with place value numerals. Muslim then developed a decimal arithmetic based on place value and joint concept of zero. In the ninth century, Banu Musa brothers who were three gifted sons of Musa, Muhammad, Ahmad, and Hassan ibn Musa lived in Baghdad studied problems in constructing interrelated geometrical figures. Later the characteristic of those line, space of geometrical shape was given intense study and utilized sophisticated geometry in designing waterwheels, in improving farming equipment, in developing new type of weapon used at war. Another person who make significant contribution on mathematics is Muhammad ibn al-Khwarizmi, a Persian born in the eighth century. He was the first person who originated both terms “algebra”, and
Most students in my algebra II class, in high school, disliked math substantially. Math was only required to be taken for two years and if you were going to attend college, Algebra II was a requirement. When their two years were up, I could say that about half the students did not continue math. Many students in my Pre-Cal class always had a thing about asking the teacher when they were ever going to solve a problem like that in the “real world”. I noticed that the ones who had lower standards for example, they were set on going to the junior college or going straight to working, did not continue math after two years in high school. The students who were set on going to a four year university continued on with math. The students with lower standards did not care to go above and beyond. This had me thinking. If some students felt that math was useless in the “real world”, why are we required to take it? In my opinion I feel that students should be required to take a math class as a GE requirement, but it should be math that is applied to the “real world”. Those who need math in their career can continue their math studies even further.
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.
Maths is a subject that has always interested me, but looking at the roots of it is an aspect that I have never explored. I always knew that it is very open to debate, with various different opinions but I have always been intrigued by it, so I have decided to use it as the subject of my Extended Project.
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 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
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.