Mathematics probably originated in parts of the ancient Orient (east
of Greece). This was mostly as a practical science to assist in agriculture,
engineering, and business pursuits. They needed a usable calendar; a system
of weights and measures to use in harvesting, storing, and apportioning
foods; to create a method of surveying for construction of canals and reservoirs
and for parceling land. The emphasis of mathematics was on practical arithmetic
and mensuration. But at this beginning period, the Orientals used bark and
bamboo as writing materials. No early evidence remains of their developments.
3500 - 200 B.C. -- Babylonian and Egyptian Mathematics
In the Babylonian culture, they used imperishable baked clay tablets,
while the Egyptians used stone and papyrus. The Egyptians used pen and ink
and developed their writing through hieoglyphics, and the Babylonians used
a triangular stylus and a type of writing called cuneiform. The thousands
of tablets unearthed have really only recently (in the last two centuries)
been understood because the cuneiform was very difficult to understand.
The Babylonians were located in the land called "Mesopotamia,"
which means "the land between the rivers" (i.e., the Tigris and
the Euphrates). During this time, Egypt was isolated and protected from
invasion by its surrounding deserts, but Babylon spent much of its time
in war.
2600 B.C. -- The Great Pyramid at Gizeh
This pyramid covers 13 acres and contains over 2,000,000 stone blocks,
averaging 2.5 tons in weight. The stone blocks were from sandstone quarries
on the other side of the Nile. The sides of the square base involve a relative
error of less then 1/14,000 and the relative error in the right angles at
the corners does not exceed 1/27,000. There were approximately 100,000 laborers
over a 30 year period.
2200 B.C. -- Hale-bopp
The comet's last visit past Earth before 1996 A.D.
1550 B.C. -- Rhind Papyrus
Almost all knowledge of mathematics in Egypt came from this document.
It was puchased in Egypt in 1858 by the Scotsman A. Henry Rhind, which is
where it got its name. It was excavated from a Theban tomb in Egypt, written
by a scribe named Ahmes (and sometimes it is called Ahmes Papyrus
). The scribe claims it is similar to earlier work dating from the Twelfth
Dynasty, 1849-1801 B.C. It is a mathematical text like a practical handbook,
containing 85 problems.
1183 B.C. -- Trojan War
776 B.C. -- First known date of Olympic Games
700 B.C. -- False teeth invented in Italy
469 B.C. -- Socrates born
100 B.C. -- Chinese
Nine Chapters
This collection was destroyed during the reign of the emperor Shih Huang-ti
(he wanted all books of learning to be gone). Parts were saved and the text
that exists today is a commentary done by Liu
Hui.
c. 200 B.C. -- Conic Sections -- Apollonius of Perga
This is a collection of 8 books, the first 4 books deal with the general
elementary theory of conics, while the later books are devoted to more specialized
investigations.
c.250 -- Arithmetica -- Diophantus of Alexandria
A collection of 189 problems and solutions. It was the first book printed
with abbreviated (syncopated) algebra.
900 - 1000 -- Abacus
This was a type of manual calculator. First it was a dust table, then
it was a line abacus, and it progressed to being elaborately constructed
beads on an easily carried board.
1202 -- Liber abaci -- Fibonacci
This work paved the way for the Hindu-Arabic numeral system to be accepted
in Europe.
1557 -- The Whetstone of Witte -- Robert
Recorde
This is where we first encounter the equal sign, but it is much longer
than =. Recorde said he used this symbol because no two things can be more
equal than two parallel lines.
1591 -- In artem -- Viete
This is an algebra treatise which gave us most of our modern symbolism.
1620 -- Logarithmic scale
Edmund
Gunter developed a logarithmic scale (line of numbers where
distances are proportional to logarithms of the numbers indicated)
1622 -- Slide rule
William
Oughtred invented the slide rule (additions and subtractions
of the above logarithmic numbers could be done by having two like log scales,
one sliding along the other).
1671 -- Liebniz's Calculator
This "calculator" from the 17th century could not only add,
subtract, multiply, and divide, but it could also take square roots!
1776 -- US Declaration of Independence signed
1872 -- Quipu
The Incas used this mop-like tool to assist in the census. It actually
consisted of colored knotted cords.
Overview
of history of mathematics
The
Art of Algebra
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