MATH 201 History and Philosophy of Mathematics

Republic of the Philippines

BATANGAS STATE UNIVERSITY

Jose P. Laurel Polytechnic College
Malvar, Batangas
College of Teacher Education
History and Philosophy of Mathematics
EUCLID of ALEXANDRIA
most prominent ancient mathematician best known for his expertise on mathematics The
Elements
referred to as Father of Geometry
in Euclids method, deductions are made from premises or axioms. This deductive method
was the sole procedure used for demonstrating scientific certitude (truth) until the
seventeenth century
Euclid also wrote the following books:
o Data (with 94 propositions) which looks at what properties of figures can be
deduced when other properties are given;
o On Divisions which looks at constructions to divide a figure into two parts with
areas of given ratio;
o Optics which is the first Greek work on perspective; and
o Phenomena which is an elementary introduction to mathematical astronomy and
gives results on the times stars in certain positions will rise and set.
Outline of Elements
Book 1 contains Euclids 10 axioms and the basic propositions of geometry.
Book 2 is commonly called the book of geometric algebra because most of the propositions can
be seen as geometric interpretations of algebraic identities. It also contains a method of
finding the square root of a given number.
Book 3 deals with circles and their properties: inscribed angles, tangents, the power of a point,
Thales Theorem.
Book 4 constructs the circle and circumference of a triangle, and constructs a regular polygon
with 4, 5, 6 and 15 sides.
Book 5 is a treatise on proportions and magnitude.
Book 6 applies proportions to geometry.
Book 7 deals strictly with elementary number theory: divisibility, prime numbers, Euclids
algorithm for finding the GCF, LCM.
Book 8 deals with propositions in number theory.
Book 9 applies the results of the preceding 2 books and gives the infinitude of prime numbers,
the sum of geometric propositions and the construction of even perfect number.
Book 10 attempts to classify irrational magnitudes by using method of exhaustion, a precursor
to integration.
Book 11 generalizes the results of Book 1-6 to space: perpendicularity, parallelism, volumes of
parallelepipeds.
Book 12 studies volumes of cones, pyramids and cylinders in detail. It concludes by showing the
volume of sphere is proportional to the cube of its radius by approximating it by a union of
many pyramids.
Book 13 constructs the 5 regular platonic solids inscribed in a sphere, calculates the ration of
their edges to the radius of the sphere and proves that there are no further regular solids.
ROMAN MATHEMATICS
The grandeur days of Rome did not stress on mathematics as a discipline. Unlike the
ancient Greeks, the Romans werent particularly interested in pure mathematics, such as
theorems about abstract geometry. The Romans were more captivated in applying mathematics
in engineering and architecture to improve the quality of their lives. They used mathematics for
more practical purposes, such as building roads, bridges, and temples out of stones, keeping
accounts, and supplying their armies.
Calendars and Clocks

MATH 201 History and Philosophy of Mathematics

Consisted of 10 months (Martius, Aprilis, Maius, Junius, Quintilis, Sextilis, September,

October, November, December) in a year of 304 days.
The last six names of the 10 months were taken from the words for five, six, seven, eight,
nine and ten.
As the Romans accomplished the modified calendar with the Julian Calendar, months
length were extended to bring the calendars total to 365 days, making it truly solar.
Roman months were of a length identical to the lunar cycle.
Mathematics Teaching in Ancient Rome
Educational system was very similar to the Greeks but the emphasis is on what should be
learned and why was very different
Learned letters, music and a greater proportion of elementary arithmetic and counting,
using both the abacus and their fingers.
Mathematics taught through several examples and was heavily calculation based
Roman geometry had been studied for two reasons: for mental training developed by the
subject through the logical progression of axioms and proofs and the secondly, Geometry
is applied in political discussions, questions on land measurement and similar problems.
Roman architects and engineers made outstanding technological achievements(built
aqueducts and elaborated plumbing systems that provided hot and cold water and steam
for public baths, networks of paved roads, drainage systems)
Roman numerals are well known today, and were the dominant number system for trade
and administration in most of Europe for the best part of a millennium. It was decimal (base 10)
system but not directly positional, and did not include a zero, so that, for arithmetic and
mathematical purposes, it was a clumsy and inefficient system. It was based on letters of the
Roman alphabet - I, V, X, L, C, D and M - combines to signify the sum of their values (e.g. VII = V
+ I + I = 7).

Later, a subtractive notation was also adopted, where VIIII, for example, was replaced by
IX (10 - 1 = 9), which simplified the writing of numbers a little, but made calculation even more
difficult, requiring conversion of the subtractive notation at the beginning of a sum and then its
re-application at the end. Due to the difficulty of written arithmetic using Roman numeral
notation,
calculations
were
usually
performed
with
an
abacus,
based
on
earlier Babylonian and Greek abaci.
MAYAN MATHEMATICS
The Mayan civilization had settled in the region of Central America from about 2000 BC,
although the so-called Classic Period stretches from about 250 AD to 900 AD. At its peak, it was
one of the most densely populated and culturally dynamic societies in the world.
The importance of astronomy and calendar calculations in Mayan society required
mathematics, and the Maya constructed quite early a very sophisticated number system,
possibly more advanced than any other in the world at the time (although the dating of
developments is quite difficult).
The Mayan and other Mesoamerican cultures used a vigesimal number system based on
base 20 (and, to some extent, base 5), probably originally developed from counting on fingers
and toes. The numerals consisted of only three symbols: zero, represented as a shell shape; one,
a dot; and five, a bar. Thus, addition and subtraction was a relatively simple matter of adding up
dots and bars. After the number 19, larger numbers were written in a kind of vertical place value
format using powers of 20: 1, 20, 400, 8000, 160000, etc), although in their calendar calculations
they gave the third position a value of 360 instead of 400 (higher positions revert to multiples of
20).

MATH 201 History and Philosophy of Mathematics

The pre-classic Maya and their neighbors had independently developed the concept of
zero by at least as early as 36 BC, and we have evidence of their working with sums up to the
hundreds of millions, and with dates so large it took several lines just to represent them. Despite
not possessing the concept of a fraction, they produced extremely accurate astronomical
observations using no instruments other than sticks, and were able to measure the length of the
solar year to a far higher degree of accuracy than that used in Europe (their calculations
produced 365.242 days, compared to the modern value of 365.242198), as well as the length of
the lunar month (their estimate was 29.5308 days, compared to the modern value of 29.53059).
However, due to the geographical disconnect, Mayan and Mesoamerican mathematics had
absolutely no influence on Old World (European and Asian) numbering systems and
mathematics.
CHINESE MATHEMATICS
Defined by Chinese in ancient times as the art of calculations
Like their language, Chinese Math is very concise, very much problem-based
The first true evidence of mathematical activity in China can be found in numeration
symbols on tortoise shells and flat cattle bones (commonly called oracle bones, dated form
the Shang dynasty, 14th century BC)
Employed a positional value system (proved that the Chinese were the one of the first
civilizations to understand and efficiently use a decimal numeration system)
Began much earlier in the development of the Chinese calendar, flood-control measures,
administration
Chinese calendar represents one of the longest unbroken sequences of time measurement
in history.
Developed the dualistic theory of Ying and Yang (Ying represents even numbers and Yang
represents odd numbers)
Discovered the concept of zero and invented a wide variety of mechanical aids like
counting boards (effectively meant that a decimal place value number system was used),
and wrote numerous mathematical texts to aid them in mathematical calculations

Most famous Chinese mathematics book of all time is the Juizhang Suanshu, or
commonly called as the Nine Chapters on Mathematical Art
Introduced Chinese Remainder Theorem and Herons formula for the area of a triangle

Prepared by:
Ms. Rensie Vique F. Falculan
Instructor