Mathematics is the Universal language

Mathematics embodies creativity, imagination, beauty, and expression. It is frequently regarded as science due to its systematic and logical approach. It can also be deemed an art due to its aesthetic and creative aspects. It stimulates the rational and intuitive parts of the brain and can elicit both aesthetics and sensations. Mathematics contributes to the worth of human endeavor.

Emergence of Mathematics

• Babylonian
• Islamic Golden Age
• Renaissance and Scientific Revolution
• 18th and 19th Centuries
• 20th and 21st Centuries

The Art of Mathematics is Everywhere

• Abu Rayan Al Biruni was the first Muslim scientist to discover the Earth’s circumference.
• The sum of 1st 100 natural numbers and the story behind

Mathematics is everywhere, and how it connects to daily life.

· Mathematics played a role as a parental language

· Mathematics is the language of science; can everyone understand it?

Benefits of Mathematics

Complementary Formula/Quiz

Mathematics has evolved over thousands of years of human history. As a result of different civilizations and cultures, mathematics has grown and developed as a discipline based on the knowledge and triumphs of those who came earlier.

The exploration of mathematics as a “demonstrative discipline” originated in the sixth century BC with the Pythagoreans, who derived the name “mathematics” from the ancient Greek (mathema), meaning “the subject of instruction.”

Plimpton 322 (Babylonian 1900 BC), the Rhind Mathematical Papyrus (Egyptian 1800 BC), and the Moscow Mathematical Papyrus (Egyptian 1890 BC) are the earliest mathematical manuscripts accessible. After fundamental arithmetic and geometry, the Pythagorean Theorem is the most ancient and widely used mathematical development.

Plimpton 322 is a Babylonian clay tablet with an illustration of Babylonian mathematics. The Plimpton Collection at Columbia University has it numbered 322. This tablet, thought to have been inscribed about 1800 BC, features a table with four columns and 15 rows of numbers in the period’s cuneiform (wedge shape) writing.

Rhind Mathematical Papyrus: Much of the content on the Rhind Papyrus is focused on Ancient Egyptian units of measurement, particularly dimensional analysis.

UNSW (University of New South Wales) researchers claim Plimpton 322, the world’s oldest trigonometric table from 1900–1600 BC, is the Old Babylonian tablet. Babylonian scholars believe they used this table to calculate the angles and dimensions required to construct stepped pyramids, royal residences, and temples.

Here is a broad outline of mathematics’ evolution:

- Ancient Mesopotamia: The Babylonians developed a sophisticated system of mathematics, including arithmetic, algebra, and geometry. They used a base-60 number system and made significant progress in solving equations and working with fractions.

- Ancient Egypt: The Egyptians developed practical mathematics focused on measurement, geometry, and calculation. They used a base-10 number system and knew about basic arithmetic operations.

- Ancient Greece: Mathematicians such as Pythagoras, Euclid, and Archimedes laid the foundations for mathematics as a deductive and axiomatic science. They significantly contributed to geometry, number theory, and the concept of proof.

Islamic Golden Age (8th — 14th Century):

- Scholars in the Islamic world, including Al-Khwarizmi, Al-Biruni, and Omar Khayyam, made significant advancements in algebra, trigonometry, and the development of Arabic numerals. They translated and preserved ancient Greek texts, furthering mathematical knowledge. Detail of Muslim Scientist

Renaissance and Scientific Revolution (15th — 17th Century):

- The Renaissance period saw a renewed interest in ancient Greek mathematics. Mathematicians such as Leonardo da Vinci, Nicolaus Copernicus, and Johannes Kepler made significant contributions to geometry, astronomy, and the development of mathematical methods for scientific inquiry.

- The work of mathematicians like Rene Descartes, Pierre de Fermat, and Isaac Newton laid the foundations of modern calculus and analysis. Their discoveries revolutionized the field of mathematics and its applications in physics and engineering.

Europe had an intense era of cultural, artistic, political, and economic “rebirth” known as the Renaissance.

18th and 19th Centuries:

- The 18th and 19th centuries witnessed the development of rigorous mathematical analysis, including the formulation of mathematical logic by George Boole and the development of non-Euclidean geometry by Carl Friedrich Gauss and Bernhard Riemann.

- The field of abstract algebra, including group theory, ring theory, and field theory, was established by mathematicians such as Évariste Galois and Richard Dedekind.

- The 19th century also saw the emergence of formal systems, such as set theory, as foundations for mathematics.

20th and 21st Centuries:

- The 20th century witnessed rapid advancements in various branches of mathematics. Throughout history, the field of mathematics has made significant advancements. Notable developments include the establishment of mathematical logic and proof theory, the growing importance of abstract algebra and its practical applications in cryptography and coding theory, the emergence of topology and differential geometry, and the progress made in probability theory and mathematical statistics.

- The field of mathematical physics, including the formulation of general relativity by Albert Einstein and quantum mechanics, has led to new mathematical approaches and challenges.

Abu Rayan Al Biruni was the first Muslim scientist to discover the Earth’s circumference:

Abu Rayhan al-Biruni, also known as Al-Biruni, was a Persian scholar and polymath who significantly contributed to various fields, including astronomy, mathematics, geography, and anthropology. He was born in 973 CE in Kath, Khwarizmi (in present-day Uzbekistan), and lived until around 1048 CE.

Al-Biruni is renowned for accurately determining the Earth’s radius, which he accomplished through a groundbreaking method involving trigonometry and precise measurements. He devised a unique approach based on observations of the Earth’s curvature, utilizing a mountain peak and a plain as reference points.

Around 1000 CE, Al-Biruni traveled to the Indus Valley region in what is now Pakistan as part of an expedition led by Sultan Mahmud of Ghazni. During his stay, Al-Biruni chose the city of Nandana as the site for his observations. He climbed a hill known as Chihil Dukhtaran (meaning “Forty Daughters”). He measured the angle between the horizon and the top of the mountain using a specially constructed instrument called a “clinometer.”

Simultaneously, Al-Biruni had a friend walk to a distant location on the plain below the mountain. He measured the table height above sea level using the same instrument. Al-Biruni could calculate the Earth’s radius with impressive accuracy by comparing the angles and using trigonometry.

The exact method and calculations employed by Al-Biruni are outlined in his renowned work “The Determination of the Earth’s Distances,” where he provides detailed descriptions of his measurements and calculations.

It is worth noting that Al-Biruni’s work was more comprehensive than determining the Earth’s radius. He made significant contributions to many other fields of study and authored numerous works on various subjects. His works had a lasting impact and were highly influential during his time and for future generations of scholars and scientists.

The sum of 1st 100 natural numbers recipes discovered and the story behind:

The Maths instructor in an elementary school class in the late 1700s was not in the mood to teach. He desired a break from his usual routine. So, he assigned an assignment to his students: determine the sum of all natural numbers from 1 to 100. As they began adding the numbers one by one, the pupils grumbled. It would be a long and arduous process.

But there was a youngster in that class named Carl Friedrich Gauss; he did not, like his classmates, begin accumulating numbers unquestioningly. He was sure there had to be a better way. He kept thinking and pondering until he came up with a brilliant answer.

Nobody else in the class could figure out the pattern he noticed. The product of the first and last numbers, 1 and 100, was 101. The total of the second and second-to-last numbers, 2 and 99, was also. Gauss realized this was true for all 100 numbers. And because there were 50 such pairings, he had to multiply 101 by 50 to obtain 5050, the correct result.

He couldn’t wait to tell the students about his results. Everyone, including the teacher, was surprised when he did. How did he solve the problem so quickly?

This mathematical whiz had solved the problem that his classmates had been struggling with for so long, and he had done so in an inventive, efficient, and downright incredible manner. The teacher couldn’t believe what he was seeing.

From this methodology, we can find the sum of any consecutive natural numbers by the given formula:

[n(n+1)]/2

i.e.,

[100(100+1)]/2 =5050 ….

It is difficult to overestimate the importance of mathematics. In addition to common mathematical answers, mathematics is important in tackling more complicated issues. Physicists, for example, utilize mathematics to simulate real-world phenomena ranging from magnetism to projectile motion. In brief, math is important because it helps individuals to solve for unknowns rather than simply guessing or estimating their values.

In algebra, we study skills that will help us with money. We learn how to compute interest and compound interest, a crucial ability. We can use this expertise in money management. This ability will also aid in selecting the finest bank account. It will also assist you in determining which credit card is appropriate for you. People who take out loans must comprehend the concept of interest. It will also help them choose the best strategies to save and invest money.

When cooking, people apply their math skills. For example, using half or double a recipe is typical. In this situation, individuals utilize proportions and ratios to calculate the right amounts for each element.

Area calculation is a necessary ability. It will be handy while remodeling future homes and flats. It will assist your adolescent in determining how much paint they need to purchase while repainting a room. It is also required for anyone who wants to install tiles in a bathroom or kitchen. Knowing how to calculate perimeters will help to decide how much timber to buy for floor or ceiling decor.

Mathematics is the language of science; can everyone understand it?

Yes, Mathematics is the language of science and the universal language, as we discussed in the previous examples, i.e., how Abu Rayyan Al Biruni and Carl Friedrich Gauss worked effortlessly at a young age without having so many tools. Likewise, we can use maths daily to understand nature’s rules.

Also, maths is understandable by everyone, especially highly observant ones. Some people have fear regarding maths. They can overcome their fear by reading it more, reading it again and again, and getting into it; after doing that, they will be satisfied, and they will want to do it again, and slowly, they will start enjoying it.

As mathematics is the universal language, we need maths in everything, as discussed before. Maths establish a new kind of brain wiring in your mind, i.e., a type of problem-solving. It’s not about what you learn; it’s about what rules and tactics you had to develop to solve problems.

Complementary Formula/Quiz:

You can enjoy the following formula, or if you are a teacher, you can amuse them:

Think of any number between 1 to 10. Then multiply by 2. Add 10 to that number. Divide by 2, and in the end, minus by that number which you thought at the start. The answer is always 5.

Examples:

6x2=12+10=22/2=11–6=5

7x2=14+10=24/2=12–7=5

1x2=2+10=12/2=6–1=5

3x2=6+10=16/2=8–3=5

Thanks for reading. I hope you love this article. Mathematics is the universal language, and the stories of great mathematicians inspire you. Also, try the complementary formula with your fellows and students. Indeed, they will amuse and enjoy it.

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