Essay on Egyptian Mathematics - 664 Words

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†¦show more content†¦The Egyptians had a decimal system made up of seven different symbols. The number 1 was shown by a single stroke, 10 was shown by an upside down U, 100 was represented by a coil of rope, 1,000 was represented by a drawing of a lotus plant, 10,000 was represented by a bent finger, 100,000 was represented by a picture of a frog, and 1,000,000 was a drawing of a god-like figure with its arms raised above his head. The conventions for reading and writing these numbers were quite simple. In general, the higher number was almost always written in front of the lower number, and where there was more than one row of numbers the reader read from the top of the inscription. The development of the decimal system therefore provided a uniform method of identifying and reading numerical figures, which was previously non-existent. For many years, hieroglyphs and decimals were the primary means of conveying mathematical concepts among the Egyptians. However, once the Egyptians began to use flattened sheets of dried papyrus reed as paper, and the tips of the reeds as pens, there was reason to develop more rapid means of writing. This prompted the development of hieratic writing and numerals. Although a large number of papyri, many surely dealing with mathematics, were created by the Egyptians, most have perished over time. There are two major mathematic documents that have survived, however. These include theShow MoreRelatedHistory And History Of Math1430 Words   |  6 PagesMath in Egypt Did you know that Egyptian hieroglyphs used over 700 different picture symbols? Those symbols were used for various things including recording official texts. Every symbol meant a different thing and only scribes could write hieroglyphs since most Egyptians were illiterate. The Egyptians used hieroglyphs in math by having symbols for numbers. Examples of this would include having a coil of rope for a hundred and a lotus plant for a thousand. The Egyptians knew various types of math includingRead MoreEssay about Egyptian Math1035 Words   |  5 PagesEgyptian Math   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The use of organized mathematics in Egypt has been dated back to the third millennium BC. Egyptian mathematics was dominated by arithmetic, with an emphasis on measurement and calculation in geometry. With their vast knowledge of geometry, they were able to correctly calculate the areas of triangles, rectangles, and trapezoids and the volumes of figures such as bricks, cylinders, and pyramids. They were also able to build the Great Pyramid with extreme accuracy.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  EarlyRead MoreCalculus As A Branch Of Mathematics1169 Words   |  5 Pagesdefined as a branch of mathematics that deals mostly with rate of change and with finding lengths, areas, and volumes; it is divided into two types: integral and differential. 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