History of Maths - Maths Report
Mathematical Report:
Knowledge and Understanding 2
This report aims to examine the historical and cultural development of mathematics and how it stands today with the current decimal system and modern curriculum. Exploring the differences between numeracy and mathematics and also the recent introduction of functional skills, I shall also discuss the significance of zero and place value and how links and generalisations can be made between mathematical concepts. Furthermore, this report shall examine how teaching and learning theories influence the way in which we understand maths through the process of problem solving, generalisations, assumptions and proof, and also the common errors and misconceptions that may result from this.
THE HISTORY OF MATHS
From around 2000BC the Babylonian civilisation brought a style of mathematics which succeeded the Sumerian-Akkadian system following their invasion of Mesopotamia. As the oldest example of numeration that used place value systems, the Babylonians had an advanced number system now known as ‘base 60’. This was unlike the ‘base 10’ system that is in widespread use today, although time is still organised in this way. The Babylonians divided the day into 24 hours, each hour into 60 minutes and each minute into 60 seconds (O’Connor and Robertson, 2000). Like our own decimal system today which is a positional system comprised of nine special symbols and a 0 to denote an empty space, the Babylonians only had two symbols to produce their base 60 system. However, although the Babylonians had a fairly positional system, it also had some element of a base 10 within it. This is because the number 39, for example, was built from a unit symbol and a ten symbol (i.e. three tens and a 9). ‘Appendix A’ illustrates the 59 numbers built from these symbols.
Initially the Babylonians had a place value system without a zero feature for over 100 years. This need for the zero started to emerge when difficulties came in
Knowledge and Understanding 2
This report aims to examine the historical and cultural development of mathematics and how it stands today with the current decimal system and modern curriculum. Exploring the differences between numeracy and mathematics and also the recent introduction of functional skills, I shall also discuss the significance of zero and place value and how links and generalisations can be made between mathematical concepts. Furthermore, this report shall examine how teaching and learning theories influence the way in which we understand maths through the process of problem solving, generalisations, assumptions and proof, and also the common errors and misconceptions that may result from this.
THE HISTORY OF MATHS
From around 2000BC the Babylonian civilisation brought a style of mathematics which succeeded the Sumerian-Akkadian system following their invasion of Mesopotamia. As the oldest example of numeration that used place value systems, the Babylonians had an advanced number system now known as ‘base 60’. This was unlike the ‘base 10’ system that is in widespread use today, although time is still organised in this way. The Babylonians divided the day into 24 hours, each hour into 60 minutes and each minute into 60 seconds (O’Connor and Robertson, 2000). Like our own decimal system today which is a positional system comprised of nine special symbols and a 0 to denote an empty space, the Babylonians only had two symbols to produce their base 60 system. However, although the Babylonians had a fairly positional system, it also had some element of a base 10 within it. This is because the number 39, for example, was built from a unit symbol and a ten symbol (i.e. three tens and a 9). ‘Appendix A’ illustrates the 59 numbers built from these symbols.
Initially the Babylonians had a place value system without a zero feature for over 100 years. This need for the zero started to emerge when difficulties came in
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