Transcript Babylonian and Egyptian Mathematics

Babylonian and Egyptian
Mathematics
Introduction
Babylon





refers to any mathematics in Mesopotamia
more than 400 clay tablets
Cuneiform script
approximation to √2
Sexadecimal numeral system (base 60)
Egyptian mathematics



Refers to mathematics written in the
egyptian language
Greek replaced Egyptian as the written
language of Egyptian scholars - Hellenistic
mathematics
when Arabic became the written language
of Egyptian scholars – Islamic
mathematics




oldest text – Moscow papyrus (2000 –
1800 BC)
word or story problems
volume of frustum
Rhind papyrus(1650 BC)
Egyptian Mathematics

earliest fully developed base 10
numeration system
Babylonian mathematics



fractions, algebra, quadratic and cubic
equations
calculation of Pythagorean triples
multiplication tables, trigonometry tables
and methods for solving linear and
quadratic equations
Numerals




written in cuneiform on a soft clay tablet
astrological observations and calculations
Abacus
positional numeral system with base 60
(divisible by 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 10, 12, 15,
20, and 30) which appeared 1900 BC to
1800 BC.




only two symbols for digits
radix point was not used but was made
clear from context
space was left to indicate a place without
value - zero, later on they devised a sign
degrees, time


pre-calculated tables to assist
used the lists of squares together with the
formulas



Division
table of reciprocals
Quadratic equation