The History of Math Essay -- Mathematics Education Logic Numbers Essay

The History of Math Mathematics, study of relationships among quantities, magnitudes, and properties and of logical operations by which alien quantities, magnitudes, and properties may be deduced. In the past, math 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 devil fields, as in algebra. Toward the middle of the 19th century, however, mathematics came to be regarded more and more as the science of relations, or as the science that draws necessary conclusions. This latter(prenominal) view encompasses numerical or symbolic logic, the science of using symbols to lead an exact theory of logical deduction and inference based on definitions, axioms, postulates, and rules for combining and transforming primitive elements into more complex relations and theorems. This brief persuasion of the history of mathematics traces the evolution of mathematical ideas and c at oncepts, beginning i n prehistory. Indeed, mathematics is nearly as old as humanity itself evidence of a sense of geometry and interest in geometric pattern has been found in the designs of prehistoric pottery and textiles and in cave paintings. Primitive counting systems were or so certainly based on using the fingers of one or some(prenominal) hands, as evidenced by the predominance of the numbers 5 and 10 as the bases for most number systems today. Ancient Mathematics The earliest records of advanced, nonionised mathematics date back to the ancient Mesopotamian country of Babylonia and to Egypt of the 3rd millenary BC. There mathematics was dominated by arithmetic, with an emphasis on step and calculation in geometry and with no trace of later mathematical concepts such(prenominal) as axioms or proofs. The earliest Egyptian texts, composed about 1800 BC, die a decimal numeration system with separate symbols for the successive powers of 10 (1, 10, 100, and so forth), just as in the system used b y the Romans. Numbers were represented by writing down the symbol for 1, 10, 100, and so on as many clock as the unit was in a granted number. For example, the symbol for 1 was written five generation to represent the number 5, the symbol for 10 was written six propagation to represent the number 60, and the symbol for 100 was written three times to represent the number 300. Together, these symbols represented the number 365. Addition was d... ...eat impetus to areas of mathematics such as numerical analysis and finite mathematics. It has suggested new areas for mathematical investigation, such as the study of algorithms. It has also become a effectual tool in areas as diverse as number theory, derivative instrument equations, and generalization algebra. In addition, the computer has made possible the solution of some(prenominal) long-standing problems in mathematics, such as the four-color problem first proposed in the mid-19th century. The theorem utter that four colors are sufficient to color any map, given that any two countries with a contiguous boundary require different colors. The theorem was finally proved in 1976 by means of a large-scale computer at the University of Illinois. Mathematical knowledge in the modern realness is advancing at a faster rate than ever before. Theories that were once separate have been incorporated into theories that are both more plenary and more abstract. Although many important problems have been solved, other hardy perennials, such as the Riemann hypothesis, remain, and new and equally challenging problems arise. Even the most abstract mathematics seems to be finding applications. Word Count 4793