The Magic Of The Number 60 :

Sexagesimal Mathematics In Modern Universe

By :
Annisa Angraini¹ ; Elsi Putri Villia Valerensi¹ ;
Naadhirah Fazilatun Nisa¹ ; Nayla Najmiyatul Fajri¹
¹ Department of Mathematics and Data Science, University of Andalas.

H ypatia, a woman born in Alexandria, Egypt who was

born in 350M. She is one of the INDEPENDENT MISS

SCIENCE in the world. She was the only child of her
parents and there is no information about her mother.
Interestingly she was the first mathematical philosopher and
was also an astronomer. Rumor has it that he was trained
under his father who became a schoolmaster in 400M. In
Alexandria, she taught mathematics and philosophy
specifically the teachings of Neoplatonism (the last Greek
philosopher school founded by Platinius). Her teachings
were based on the ideas of Platinus and Lanbichus. At that
time, classical thinkers were dominated by men, such as
Phytagoras, Socrates, Aristotle, Plato, to Archimedes.
Amazingly Hypatia became a woman with extraordinary
intelligence and great thinking at that time, amidst the
limitations of women in the era of 350M.

This Egyptian-born woman not only mastered knowledge in the field of Mathematics, Hypatia also
mastered complete knowledge of astronomy, literature, and art. Because of her great thinking, people
know her as a highly respected philosopher educator. She gave birth to many written works, such as
books on geometry, algebra, and astronomy.
Hypatia working on Book III of Ptolemy's Almagest. In Book III of Almagest, there is a sexagesimal
calculation (base 60) of the earth's orbit around the sun. The sexagesimal system is a way of calculating
with base 60, instead of the commonly used base 10.
The sexagesimal system is a 60-based number system. It is used in a variety of contexts, mainly for
measuring time and angles. In the context of the geometry of the universe, the sexagesimal system is
used to measure and express angles and movements of celestial bodies. One example is the
measurement of planetary positions and motions in astronomy. This system allows astronomers to
express small angles in the sky precisely. Using the sexagesimal system, scientists can accurately
describe the relative positions and movements of celestial bodies in the sky.

The sexagesimal system still has some uses in modern times related to the geometry of the universe:
Celestial Navigation and Coordinates, Calculation of Astronomical Positions, Astronomical Time, and
the Concept of Geographical Degrees.
There are many other works done by Hypatia with other legendary figures, such as in the fields of
mathematics and music, as well as other things. However, most of his works were lost and destroyed
because of his tragic death story. Hypatia's last condition was that she was taken to the church, where
she was undressed, beaten with bricks, and her limbs were torn. Some argue that her death was due to
her theories that led her to be called a witch, but others say that she was killed because of her haughty
attitude towards Christianity, but no one knows the truth.

Daftar Pustaka :
WORDPRESS, THONYC. Hypatia – What do we really know? The Renaissance
Mathematicus, January 2019.
Sarah J. Greenwald dan Edith Prentice Mendez. Hypatia, The First Known Woman
Mathematician.
UMSU, OIF. Sexagesimal : Classic Time Calculation System. OIF UMSU, Medan, June 2020.