Earliest Civilization is the Region of Mesopotamia Because of Their Language of Cuneiform

Without the fundaments discovered in Ancient Mesopotamia, our society would not be as well developed in the field of mathematics, which would in turn affect the progress of various fields of science and construction. Conclusion The impact of Mesopotamian inventions on the modern world can be clearly seen through the influence their technology had on subsequent civilizations. Each invention was revolutionary, and became even more so after being further studied by civilizations like Egypt and Greece. After thousands of years of progress, these inventions are not only still used, but have become necessities. Despite being one of the first civilizations to emerge, Ancient Mesopotamia and its technology had a profound impact on the rest of the world.

The Ancient Indians had some mathematical achievements. One of their mathematical achievements, which was shown in the Vedic texts, is that they had names for every number up to one billion. The Vedic texts also show that they managed to calculate irrational numbers, such as√3, very accurately (Whitfield, Traditions 42).... ... middle of paper ... ...affect us in numerous ways, such as in architecture, modern mathematics, modern science, the medical world, technology, and much more. Ancient India, China, and Greece all contributed to math and science, however, the Greek achievements influenced us the most. They invented Pythagorean Theorem, calculated the value of pi, discovered atoms, accurately found the size of the Earth, and had much more accomplishments than India or China.

They are also believed to be the first to use fractions, although they wrote their fractions differently than we do today. Their mathematics had an emphasis on measurement and calculations. With their vast knowledge in geometry they were able to calculate the areas of triangles, bricks, trapezoids and pyramids. The Egyptians practiced the mathematical arts through hieroglyphics, pyramids, and the Rhind Papyrus. Ancient Egyptians used hieroglyphics for many things including mathematics.

Babylonians also developed other revolutionary mathematical concepts. Although, Pythagorean Theorem is attributed to Greek mathematician “Pythagoras”, the known and controversial Plimpton 322, a tablet formed out of clay, shows that long before Pythagoras, Babylonians knew the secret of the right-angled triangles. Other interesting contributions of Babylonians to our modern civilization include the use of number zero and the use of a 12 hour clock with 60 minutes per hour. Their sexagesimal number system helps the society of today in developing a 360 degree system. The use of standards in measuring lengths, weights, and volumes were also contributed by Ba... ... middle of paper ... ... possessed clarity and certainty, their concept of proof was not clear and uncertain.

The Egyptians are one of the earliest known and most well documented people to inhabit the Earth. They were one of the first people to respond to practical needs within agriculture, business, and industry. Moreover, archaeological and historical artifacts suggest that the Egyptians were among the first to develop the study of mathematics. This paper will discuss the development of mathematics in ancient Egypt, focusing on the use of hieroglyphs, the decimal system, and hieratic writing and numerals to demonstrate that the Egyptians made notable contributions to modern day understandings of mathematics. The foundations of mathematics are strongly rooted in the history and way of life of the Egyptian people, dating back to the fourth millennium B.C.

Therefore, Mesopotamia is a civilization because it made major contributions in the fields of Writing and Science, it had people beginning to specialize in occupations and it had a state religion. First of all, Mesopotamia can be considered a civilization because of the contributions it made in the fields of Writing and Science. One of its most important contribution, was the development of one of the first systems of writing. With the increase of farming and trade, the people of Mesopotamia developed a way of keeping records and communicating through cuneiform script. Cuneiform began as a series of pictograms pressed onto clay tablets but soon these pictograms turned into more abstract symbols.

This was attributed, to Thales (c. 624-546 B.C. ), which many other Greeks held to be true even after another Greek named Aristarchus (c. 310-230 B.C.) “Suggested that the Earth goes around the Sun, a view that ultimately prevailed, but until almost 2,000 years later” Bennett, Donahue, Schneider, and Voit (2004). With all of this in mind, the mathematicians who followed these great men of genius will utilize the ideas and mathematical equations in search of the truth. It is important to understand that in order for these new discoveries be found, the evolution of logic, math, and other sciences, which derived from the mathematical ideals of the past.

This invention even allowed for Hammurabi’s Code of law to be written and preserved through the ages. The Phoenicians took this concept another step forward and fashioned the alphabet. The ability to record history is an exceptional achievement. Another development of the Ancient Near East was architecture. The Egyptian pyramids, and the Babylonian ziggurats stand as testimony to their society’s technological and architectural achievements.

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.

The Greeks brought a variety of great minds to life, including Thales of Miletus, Archimedes, Apollonius, Euclid, and Democritus. They began using logic to explore new mathematical concepts. Pythagoras of Samos was one of the foremost logical minds of this age. He is the inventor of abstract mathematics, and the founder of the “Pythagoras Theorem”. This theorem is still used today, in modern geometric equations The Hindu / Arabian Period (500A.D.