In modern day mathematics, the use of decimals to determine accurate calculations is used in almost every situation. It is used so often that we forget that decimals haven’t always been around. They had to have come from somewhere, but where did they come from? The origination of the decimal system is often overlooked and undervalued, but the importance of decimals in modern mathematics is extremely significant. This is why Simon Stevin’s work on decimal arithmetic was such a huge impact on the advancement of mathematics. This work titled, “Disme: The Art of Tenths,” was created to simplify modern calculations for people that take the role of merchants, astronomers, measures of tapestry, and land measurers. (Stevin) Little did Stevin know, this discovery would lead to many great discoveries and would be used by mathematicians from all over the world.
Before we examine Stevin’s work and how it impacted modern mathematics, we must first understand Stevin’s past and what inspired him to publish his masterpiece. Stevin was born in the year 1548 in modern day Belgium. (O’Conner) Stevin was assumed to be raised a Calvinist by the family his mother married into. In his younger years, Stevin became a bookkeeper and cashier in a firm in Antwerp. Then in the year 1577, he acquired a job in a tax office in Brugge. (O’Conner) These early jobs make it clear that Stevin was very fluent with the arithmetic already used in those days. From these jobs, he must have seen the need for a more simple type of arithmetic. When Stevin was 35, he attended the University of Leiden. It was at this university, Stevin became acquainted with the second son of William Prince of Orange who was the ruler of the Northern area of the Netherlands at the time. Stevi...
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...e public only added another factor to the success of the decimal system in the European world.
As we look around us today we see evidence of Stevin’s decimal arithmetic everywhere. We use it in measurements, weights, currency, and many other situations. Each of these situations is proof of how large an impact on modern day mathematics that Stevin’s decimal arithmetic had. The fact that to this day, about 400 years later, we still use the exact same methods Stevin invented is very fascinating. I begin to wonder where not only mathematics, but society in general would be today if Stevin had not made decimals popular. Decimals benefited not only mathematicians, but people of all classifications. Engineers especially benefited from the use of decimals because they were finally able to do precise calculations. This contributed to many amazing inventions and discoveries.
Abstract: This paper gives an insight into the Mathematics used by the American Indians. The history of American Indians and how they incorporated mathematics into their lives is scarce. However from the information retrieved by Archeologists, we have an idea of the type of mathematics that was used by American Indians.
Abstract—The transition to calculus was a remarkable period in the history of mathematics and witnessed great advancements in this field. The great minds of the 17th through the 19 Centuries worked rigorously on the theory and the application of calculus. One theory started another one, and details needed justifications. In turn, this started a new mathematical era developing the incredible field of calculus on the hands of the most intelligent people of ancient times. In this paper, we focus on an amazing mathematician who excelled in pure mathematics despite his physical inability of total blindness. This mathematician is Leonard Euler.
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Newton also discovered the concept of decimal fractions, which could be used to evaluate Pi out to any given number of decimal places. Newton believed that quantities calculated by binomial expansion should be considered an infinite series. Adding the binomial ...
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In conclusion, it is clear that while their ancient civilization perished long ago, the contributions that the Egyptians made to mathematics have lived on. The Egyptians were practical in their approach to mathematics, and developed arithmetic and geometry in response to transactions they carried out in business and agriculture on a daily basis. Therefore, as a civilization that created hieroglyphs, the decimal system, and hieratic writing and numerals, the contributions of the Egyptians to the study of mathematics cannot and should not be overlooked.
Between 1850 and 1900, the mathematics and physics fields began advancing. The advancements involved extremely arduous calculations and formulas that took a great deal of time when done manually.
The prominence of numeracy is extremely evident in daily life and as teachers it is important to provide quality assistance to students with regards to the development of a child's numeracy skills. High-level numeracy ability does not exclusively signify an extensive view of complex mathematics, its meaning refers to using constructive mathematical ideas to “...make sense of the world.” (NSW Government, 2011). A high-level of numeracy is evident in our abilities to effectively draw upon mathematical ideas and critically evaluate it's use in real-life situations, such as finances, time management, building construction and food preparation, just to name a few (NSW Government, 2011). Effective teachings of numeracy in the 21st century has become a major topic of debate in recent years. The debate usually streams from parents desires for their child to succeed in school and not fall behind. Regardless of socio-economic background, parents want success for their children to prepare them for life in society and work (Groundwater-Smith, 2009). A student who only presents an extremely basic understanding of numeracy, such as small number counting and limited spatial and time awareness, is at risk of falling behind in the increasingly competitive and technologically focused job market of the 21st Century (Huetinck & Munshin, 2008). In the last decade, the Australian curriculum has witness an influx of new digital tools to assist mathematical teaching and learning. The common calculator, which is becoming increasing cheap and readily available, and its usage within the primary school curriculum is often put at the forefront of this debate (Groves, 1994). The argument against the usage of the calculator suggests that it makes students lazy ...
...guage, paper, the decimal system, nautical steering rudder and the use of negative numbers in mathematics to name a few are highlights of this nation’s cultural development and contributions to the world.
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...othing like what are computers are today, it still started the ball rolling for the invention of many practical and useful computers today.
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