Babylon

The first mathematics can be traced to the ancient country of Babylon and to Egypt during the 3rd millennium BC. A number system with a base of 60 had developed in Babylon over time. Large numbers and fractions could be represented and formed the basis of advanced mathematical evolution. From at least 1700 BC, Pythagorean triples were studied. The study of linear and quadratic equations led to form of primitive numerical algebra. Meanwhile, similar figures, areas, and volumes were studied as well as the primitive values for pi obtained. The Greeks inherited the Babylonian principles and developed mathematics from 450 BC. They discovered that all real numbers could not accurately express all values, such as relationships between sides. Irrational numbers were born. The Greeks progressed rapidly in mathematics from 300 BC. Progress also sped in the Islamic countries of Syria, India, and Iran. Their work had a different focus from that of the Greeks, but all Greek principles held! true. This basis was later brought to Europe and developed further there. The Babylonian system of writing was called cuneiform and was based on a series of straight lined symbols. These symbols were wet and baked in the hot sun to preserve. Curved lines could not be drawn. These cuneiform symbols led to many tables used to aid calculation. As stated previously, they used a base 60 system, which has ten proper divisors, instead of our current system, base 10 with only two proper divisors. In this respect, their system may have been more advanced since many more numbers have a finite form. Two examples of these tables are the tables found at Senkerah on the Euphrates River in 1854, which date from 2000 BC. This table was used to figure the squares of numbers to 59 and cubes of numbers up to 32. However, a drawback of this system is the lack of a proper 0. Also, context was required to determine if 1 meant 1, 61, or 361, etc. Euclid, who lived ...