The Journey of Mathematics.
                     The Journey of 
Mathematics
What is Mathematics?
•Mathematics is the science that deals with the 
logic of shape, quantity and arrangement. Math 
is all around us, in everything we do. 
Source: livescience.com
Nature's abacus
•Soon after language develops, it is safe to 
assume that humans begin counting - and that 
fingers and thumbs provide nature's abacus.
Source: www.historyworld.net/
ANCIENT MATHEMATICS
Babylon and Egypt: from 1750 
BC
•The first surviving examples of geometrical and 
algebraic calculations derive from Babylon and 
Egypt in about 1750 BC.
Source: www.historyworld.net/
Babylonian Mathematics
•Babylon is far more advanced, with quite 
complex algebraic problems featuring on 
cuneiform tablets. 
•A typical Babylonian math's question will be 
expressed in geometrical terms, but the nature 
of its solution is essentially algebraic
Source: www.historyworld.net/
Egyptian Mathematics
•Egyptian mathematics is less sophisticated 
than that of Babylon; but an entire papyrus on 
the subject survives.
•Known as the Rhind papyrus, it was copied from 
earlier sources by the scribe Ahmes in about 
1550 BC.
Source: www.historyworld.net/
Euclid : 3rd century BC
•Many of the theorems derive from Euclid's 
predecessors (in particular Eudoxus), but Euclid 
presents them with a clarity which ensures the 
success of his work. 
• It becomes Europe's standard textbook in 
geometry, retaining that position until the 19th 
century.
Source: www.historyworld.net/
Archimedes: 3rd century BC
•The fame of Archimedes in history and legend 
derives largely from his practical inventions and 
discoveries, but he himself regards these as 
trivial compared to his work in pure geometry. 
•He is most proud of his calculations of surface 
area and of volume in spheres and cylinders.
Source: www.historyworld.net/
GREEK MATHEMATICS
Pythagoras: 6th century BC
• In about 529 BC Pythagoras moves from Greece 
to a Greek colony at Crotona, in the heel of 
Italy. 
•There he establishes a philosophical sect based 
on the belief that numbers are the underlying 
and unchangeable truth of the universe.
•Pythagoras theorem states that whatever the 
shape of a triangle, its three angles always add 
up to the sum of two right angles (180 
degrees).
Source: www.historyworld.net/
The circumference of the earth: calculated c. 220 BC
•Eratosthenes, the librarian of the museum at 
Alexandria, his most significant project is 
working out the circumference of the earth.
Source: www.historyworld.net/
Algebra: from the 2nd century AD
•The tradition of Babylonian algebra is revived 
by the Greeks in Alexandria, where Diophantus 
writes a treatise called Arithmetica in about AD 
200.
•He uses a special sign for minus, and adopts 
the letter s for the unknown quantity.
•Greek algebra in its turn spreads to India, China 
and Japan.
Source: www.historyworld.net/
Evolution of Modern Algebra
•Both plus (+) and minus (-) derive from 
abbreviations used in Latin manuscripts. 
•The equal sign (=) is attributed to an English 
author, Robert Record, in a book of 1556. 
• In the 17th century Descartes introduces the 
use of x, y and z for unknown quantities, and 
the convention for writing squared and cubed 
numbers.
Source: www.historyworld.net/
INDIAN MATHEMATICS
Brahmagupta 
•Brahmagupta established the basic 
mathematical rules for dealing with zero.
•He also established rules for dealing with 
negative numbers, and pointed out that 
quadratic equations could in theory have two 
possible solutions, one of which could be 
negative. 
Source: www.gresham.ac.uk
Bhaskara
•Bhaskara II, who lived in the 12th Century, was 
one of the most accomplished of all India’s 
great mathematicians. 
•He is credited with explaining the previously 
misunderstood operation of division by zero.
Source: www.gresham.ac.uk
Future of Mathematics
•Mathematics education is changing rapidly and 
a big driver for this is the use of new 
technology. 
•The widespread use of computers has 
transformed the way we do mathematics.
•Modern developments of computer-based 
teaching and learning require computers and 
human teachers to work well together.
Source: www.gresham.ac.uk