NAME: Acelyn A.

Laña ID NUMBER: 21100580 SCORE

SUBJECT: Math 101: History of Mathematics MIDTERM QUIZ 2

REFLECTION ON THE HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENTS IN MATHEMATICS

1. What were the significant developments in the History of Mathematics?

The development of Mathematics is like a descending spiral method of

learning. It means the developments of mathematics starting from the complex
into easier way because of the formulas that have been formulated throughout
time.

During Prehistoric times, they only know the number “one” and “two” and
the next following numbers were called “many”. They don’t have specific days
like Mondays, Tuesdays, etc. they just based the day on the phase of the moon.
Also, they used bones with notches as a measuring instrument which is a ruler
to us in this modern times.

During the period of Sumerians and Babylonians, they developed larger

numbers because they started to have their land and they also pay taxes. Due
to the wide land, the notches on the bones are not enough to symbolize the
measure of the land. Hence, they developed symbols to represent larger
numbers. During this period, they developed the sexagesimal or the base 60
numerical system and also its symbolic representation such as a small clay cone
as 1, a clay ball as 10, and a larger cone as 60. They also started to use the
operation of multiplication, square roots, cube roots, and solving quadratic
equations using sexagesimal. Additionally, they divided the day into 24 hours,
each hour into 60 minutes, and each minute into 60 seconds.

In the Egyptian period, they used body parts to measure land and
buildings such as a palm being the width of the hand, and a cubit measuring
from elbow to fingertips. From base 60 during Babylonian to base 10 in Egyptian
mathematics. They developed symbols that represent 1, 10, 100, 1000, … They
also used the operation of subtracting and adding.

Greek Mathematics used the alphabetic numerical system in which the

only symbols that represent both alphabet and numbers. They also used an
ancient numerical system called the “attic” or “herodianic” numerals. These are
also similar to the base 10 but they’ve included the factor of 5. Also, most Greek
mathematics was based on geometry.

Roman Mathematics is still popular at this period. The numbers are

represented as letters such as I for 1, V for 5, X for 10, and so on.

In Mayan Mathematics, they began to develop a calendar that is only base

20 called as vigesimal. The Mayan numbers only consist of three symbols such
as shell for zero, stone for one, and stick for 5. Mayan mathematics was the first
to develop the number 0.

The Chinese numbering system was represented by the combination of

bamboo rods. China was also one who thought to use the abacus. There are
many methods of solving such as the Lo Shu magic square, the Early Chinese
Method of Solving Equations, and the Chinese Remainder Theorem.

In addition to inventing the concept of zero, Indian mathematicians made

significant contributions to the study of trigonometry, algebra, arithmetic, and
negative numbers, among other things. Perhaps most importantly, the decimal
system, which we still use today, originated in India.

Islamic mathematicians quickly adopted the Indian numeral system,

which we now call Arabic numerals. Other contributions included, among
others, the development of algebra, the use of decimals, mathematical induction,
and trigonometry. Muslim mathematicians created the current arithmetical
decimal system and the basic operations associated with it, including addition,
subtraction, multiplication, division, raising to a power, and extracting the
square root and cubic root.

From the 16th to the 19th centuries, the equals, multiplication, division,
radical (root), decimal, and inequality symbols were gradually introduced and
standardized, while advances in a numerical calculation, the development of
symbolic algebra and analytic geometry, and the invention of differential and
integral calculus resulted in a significant expansion of the subject areas of
mathematics.

And for the 20th century, has come with the modern way of mathematics.
It already has a systematic way of solving equations and a certain representation
of each number.

Therefore, I called it descending spiral learning because from oral and

complex computation we have come to the more simple and organized solutions
for the equations and problems.
2. What are the implications of these developments in teaching
Mathematics (i.e. school/DepEd policies and programs in Mathematics
Education, teaching-learning strategies in Mathematics, etc.)?

I. It enables the teacher to impart knowledge about the history of every

topic she will going to discuss.

II. It will be used as a contingent solving strategy.

III. It will enhance our mind to solve a problem without a certain formula.

IV. It will enhance our complex understanding on the things.

V. It allows us to use different objects around us to represent certain

number that makes it easier for the students to understand the topic.

REFLECT

Personally, what is the implication of these historical developments to you

as a future teacher of Mathematics?

As a future mathematics teacher, these developments will be my tool for

motivating my students. In the case that I explain to them that the people before
them can solve even without formulas, they have no reason to complain about
how difficult mathematics is. We live in the modern era, where there are
numerous formulas, measuring instruments, and computing devices. They can
now solve equations with ease, but with the help of our educators.