:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():format(webp)/168351286-F-56b005fd3df78cf772cb2468.jpg)
..................................
History of Mathematics
An A-to-Z History of Mathematics
Mathematics is the science of
numbers. To be precise, the Merriam-Webster dictionary defines mathematics
as:
“The science of numbers and their
operations, interrelations, combinations, generalizations, abstractions and of
space configurations and their structure, measurement, transformations and
generalizations.”
There are several
different branches of mathematical science, which include algebra, geometry and
calculus.
Mathematics is not an
invention.
Discoveries and laws of
science are not considered inventions since inventions are material things and
processes.
However, there is a history
of mathematics, a relationship between mathematics and inventions and
mathematical instruments themselves are considered inventions.
According to the book "Mathematical Thought from Ancient to
Modern Times," mathematics as an organized science did not exist until
the classical Greek period from 600 to 300 B.C.
There were, however, prior
civilizations in which the beginnings or rudiments of mathematics were formed.
For example, when
civilization began to trade, a need to count was created.
When humans traded goods,
they needed a way to count the goods and to calculate the cost of those goods.
The very first device for
counting numbers was, of course, the human hand and fingers represented
quantities.
And to count beyond ten
fingers, mankind used natural markers, rocks or shells.
From
that point, tools such as counting boards and the abacus were
invented.
Here's a quick tally of
important developments introduced throughout the ages, beginning from A to
Z.
Abacus
One
of the first tools for counting invented, the abacus was invented around
1200 B.C. in China and was used in many ancient civilizations, including Persia
and Egypt.
Accounting
The
innovative Italians of the Renaissance (14th through 16th century) are
widely acknowledged to be the fathers of modern accounting.
Algebra
The
first treatise on algebra was written by Diophantus of Alexandria in the 3rd
century B.C. Algebra comes from the Arabic word al-jabr, an ancient medical
term meaning "the reunion of broken parts." Al-Khawarizmi is another
early algebra scholar and was the first to teach the formal discipline.
Archimedes
Archimedes was a mathematician and inventor from ancient
Greece best known for his discovery of the relationship between the
surface and volume of a sphere and its circumscribing cylinder for his
formulation of a hydrostatic principle (Archimedes' principle) and for
inventing the Archimedes screw (a device for raising water).
Differential
Gottfried Wilhelm
Leibniz (1646-1716) was a German philosopher,
mathematician and logician who is probably most well known for having invented
differential and integral calculus. He did this independently of Sir Isaac
Newton.
Graph
A
graph is a pictorial representation of statistical data or of a functional
relationship between variables.
William Playfair (1759-1823)
is generally viewed as the inventor of most graphical forms used to display
data, including line plots, the bar chart, and the pie chart.
Math Symbol
In
1557, the "=" sign was first used by Robert Record. In 1631, came the
">" sign.
Pythagoreanism
Pythagoreanism is
a school of philosophy and a religious brotherhood believed to have been
founded by Pythagoras of Samos, who settled in Croton in southern Italy about
525 B.C. The group had a profound effect on the development of mathematics.
Protractor
The
simple protractor is an ancient device. As an instrument used to construct
and measure plane angles, the simple protractor looks like a semicircular disk
marked with degrees, beginning with 0º to 180º.
The first complex protractor
was created for plotting the position of a boat on navigational charts. Called
a three-arm protractor or station pointer, it was invented in 1801 by Joseph
Huddart, a U.S. naval captain. The center arm is fixed, while the outer
two are rotatable and capable of being set at any angle relative to the center
one.
Slide Rulers
Circular
and rectangular slide rules, an instrument used for mathematical calculations,
were both invented by mathematician William Ougtred.
Zero
Zero
was invented by the Hindu mathematicians Aryabhata and Varamihara in India
around or shortly after the year 520 A.D.
Mary Bellis has
been writing about inventors since 1997. She also loves to tinker (invent) and
spends too much time in her workshop developing her ideas.
Experience
Forbes Best
of the Web credits Mary for creating the number one online destination for
information about inventors and inventions. Her writing has been reprinted and
referenced to in numerous educational books and articles. Her opinion and
advice is requested by media outlets on a constant basis. In addition, she has
produced and directed a number of films, including a documentary on Alexander
Graham Bell, the inventor of the telephone, and has worked as a curator
specializing in computer generated art.
Education
Mary has two degrees
in film and animation from the San Francisco Art Institute. She is a big fan of
both history and technology and an avid reader of books and periodicals on
those topics.
Mary
Bellis
I have a passion for
inventing and a deep respect for all inventors. I know firsthand the
difficulties that inventors face and I want to help by making the path from
idea to marketplace a clearer process.
No comments:
Post a Comment