Académique Documents
Professionnel Documents
Culture Documents
I.
Ancient Period
A. Number systems and arithmetic
1. Many different numeration systems
2. Arithmetic performed with calculating devices, e.g. the abacus
B. Measurement
1. Creation of units of measure --- ways to quantify distance, area, volume, time
2. Simple forms of trigonometry and other rules of geometry used for indirect
measurement
C. Practical problems
1. Art and architecture: temples, pyramids, geometric patterns
2. Engineering: canals, aqueducts, ship building
3. Economics and government: census, taxes, land surveys
3.
( 1000 1500)
( 1800 present)
A. Non-Euclidean geometry
1. Gauss, Lobachevsky, and Riemann develop an alternative to Euclidean geometry in
the 19th century.
2. The new geometries inspire modern theories of gravitation, space curvature and
the physics of the molecular world, e.g. Einsteins theory of relativity.
B. Statistics and probability
1. Theories of probability and statistics developed by many mathematicians during
the 19th and 20th centuries have ever-greater significance in the complex,
computerized modern world. Numerous examples include weather prediction, polls
and surveys, insurance tables, medical studies, etc.
C. Computers
1. Development of electronic computer hardware and software (1940 present)
allow mathematicians to solve many previously unsolvable problems and opens up
new fields of mathematical research.
D. Mathematics as a world-wide language
1. The Hindu-Arabic numeration system and a common set of mathematical symbols
are used and understood throughout the world.
2. Mathematics expands into many branches and is created and shared world-wide at
an ever-expanding pace.
3.