History of Mathematics

The branch of study known as the history of mathematics is the investigation of the origins of discoveries in mathematics and, to a lesser extent, the investigation of the methods and notation of mathematics in the past.

Prior to modern times and the worldwide spread of knowledge, written examples of the development of mathematics had glittered in only a few places. The oldest mathematical writings that have been found are Plimpton 322 (Babylonian mathematics c. 1900 BC), the Rhind Mathematical Tablets (Egyptian mathematics c. 2000-1800 BC), and the Moscow Mathematical Gazette (Egyptian mathematics c. 1890 BC). All of these workers deal with a theorem commonly known as the Pythagorean theorem, which seems to be the oldest and most widespread mathematical development after basic arithmetic and geometry.

The contributions of Greek mathematicians refined the methods (especially through the introduction of deductive reasoning and mathematical rigor in mathematical proofs) and expanded the subject of mathematics. The word "mathematics" itself is derived from the ancient Greek word, μάθημα (mathematics), which means "subject". Chinese mathematics made early contributions, including positional notation. The Hindu-Arabic number system and the rules for using its operations, used today, were probably developed through lectures in the first millennium AD in Indian mathematics and have been passed on to the West through Islamic mathematics. Islamic mathematics, in turn, developed and extended mathematical knowledge to this civilization. Many Greek and Arabic texts on mathematics were later translated into Latin, leading to the further development of mathematics in the European Middle Ages.

From ancient times through the Middle Ages, bursts of mathematical creativity were often followed by centuries of stagnation. Beginning in Renaissance Italy in the 16th century, new mathematical developments, interacting with new scientific discoveries, were made at an exponential growth rate that continues today.

Prehistoric mathematics

The origins of mathematical thinking lie in the concepts of numbers, quantities, and shapes. Modern studies of animal fossils show that this concept is not unique to humans. This concept may also be an everyday part of the hunter pack. That the concept of numbers developed step by step over time is evidence that in some languages ​​today the distinction between "one", "two" and "many" is preserved, but that numbers greater than two are not.

The oldest known mathematical object is the Lebombo bone, found in the Lebombo mountains in Swaziland and probably dates to 35000 BC. This bone contains 29 different incisions that are deliberately etched into the baboon's fibula. There is evidence that women used to do the math to memorize their menstrual cycles; 28 to 30 scratches on bone or stone, followed by distinct markings. Also, prehistoric artifacts found in Africa and France, from 35,000 BC and 20,000 years old, suggest early attempts to calculate time.

The Ishango bone, found near the watercourse of the Nile (northeast Congo), contains a row of stick marks etched in three longitudinal stripes on the bone. The common interpretation is that the Ishango bones show the oldest known demonstration of the sequence of prime numbers or the six-month lunar calendar. Predynastic period Egypt from the 5th millennium BC, graphically featuring geometric designs. It has been claimed that megalithic structures in England and Scotland, from the 3rd millennium BC, incorporated geometrical ideas such as the circle, ellipse, and Pythagorean triples in their design.

Sumber : wikipedia.com