The Egyptian And Babylonian Mathematicians - 1257 Words

Abstract—Research compiled from video lectures and articles retrieved from the internet is the basis for the findings in this article related to solving a cubic equation. The noteworthy mathematicians and their contributions to the solution and their understanding of the cubic equation is included. Also included is an example of a cubic equation solved using Descartes’ Factor Theorem. Index Terms—complex number, cubic equation, Descartes, Riehmen Sphere, Tartaglia Introduction Building on the successes of their ancient predecessors the mathematicians of the European Renaissance searched for an algebraic solution to the cubic equation. The ancient Egyptian and Babylonian mathematicians produced solutions for the linear and quadratic equations. By 628, Brahmagupta, the Indian mathematician, developed the general quadratic formula for solving a quadratic equation. In the eighth century, the great Persian mathematician, Al-Kharizmi, offered a solution to the quadratic equation by completing the square. But solving the cubic equation or finding the zeroes of the polynomials of degree three evaded the great mathematicians. Omar Khayyan, the Islamic poet, astronomer, and mathematician attempted to find a general algebraic solution to the cubic equation but was able to only offer a geometric solution for a specific cubic equation. During the Renaissance, Tartaglia, Cardano, Viete, Fermat, and Descartes, made advances in solving the cubic equation. Later, Newton a nd Riemann wouldShow MoreRelatedThe History of Zero1561 Words   |  6 Pagestime zero was used in English language was in 1598. One of the many debates by mathematicians, even in our perspectives classroom is if zero was invented or discovered. â€Å"Zero’s path through time and thought has been as full of intrigue, disguise and mistaken identity as were the career of the traveller who first brought it to the west† (Kaplan, The Nothing That Is: A Natural History of Zero). Other debates by mathematicians are if zero is a placeholder or if it is a real number. The way our world functionsRead MoreThe History of Algebra916 Words   |  4 PagesMiddle East. In Egypt, the Egyptians used mathematics which included Algebra to solve equivalent to a linear equation. They solved problems without using symbols but rather stated the problems and solved it verbally. Very seldom symbols were used by the Egyptians to solve an algebraic problem; Egyptians interpret algebra as a form of way of communicating how to solve equations, which is called â€Å"method of false position.† In the ancient civilization of the Old Babylonian Period (1800-1600 B.C.) wereRead MoreMathematics Is That Of Pi ( ÃŽ   )1728 Words   |  7 Pagesneed to know the exact value of Ï€ to a few decimal place values, although that hasn’t stopped mathematicians from pursuing a more accurate representation for its value throughout time. The earliest know approximations for the value of Ï€ have been identified on ancient clay tablets, dated 1900-1650 BC, from the Babylonian civilization which states the value of Ï€ as (25/8) = 3.125. and from the Egyptian civilization, from the Rhind Papyrus(1650BC), which approximates the value of Ï€ to be (16/9)^2Read MoreThe Mathematics Of A Large Nutshell959 Words   |  4 Pagesextends throughout the Mediterranean world. Greek was the language of the educated in most of the Mediterranean. Building on the work of the Egyptians, the Greeks made many great mathematical achievements (Berlinghoff Gouvea, 2004, p. 15). The Greek numeration system was very similar to the Roman’s and rather primitive compared to that of the Babylonians. The system used the 25 letters of the Greek alphabet and two extra characters. Nine of the characters were used to represent the numbers oneRead MoreMathematics Is That Of Pi ( ÃŽ   )2249 Words   |  9 Pagesneed to know the exact value of Ï€ to a few decimal place values, although that hasn’t stopped mathematicians from pursuing a more accurate representation for its value throughout time. The earliest know approximations for the value of Ï€ have been identified on ancient clay tablets, dated 1900-1650 BC, from the Babylonian civilization which states the value of Ï€ as (25/8) = 3.125 (4) and from the Egyptian civilization, from the Rhind Papyrus(1650BC), which approximates the value of Ï€ to be (16/9)^2Read MoreThe History of Mathematics Essay627 Words   |  3 Pagesgeometric designs being used. Egypt was using a decimal number system around 5000BC. Babylonian and Egyptian calendars were being used starting in 4000BC. In 3400BC, the first symbols for numbers by using straight lines were being used in Egypt. Hieroglyphic numbers were used in Egypt around 3000BC along with the abacus being developed in the Middle East and areas around the Mediterranean. Also in 3000BC, Babylonians started using a sexagesimal number system which was used for recording financialRead More Pi Essay1620 Words   |  7 Pagesformulas that you learn as a young math student. I t is simply taught as, . There is no explanation as to why the area of a circle is this arbitrary formula. As it turns out the area of a circle is not an easy task to figure out by your self. Early mathematicians knew that area was, in general to four sided polygons, length times width. But a circle was different, it could not be simply divided into length and width for it had no sides. As it turns out, finding the measurement to be squared was not difficultRead MoreThe History Of Algebra, How It Started, The Most Study Mathematical Subject Around The World1750 Words   |  7 Pagesused to solve simple addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division and how it went incorporating more operations that permitted it to solve problems that involve abstract concepts. It will show that the recorded history begins mostly with the Egyptian papyrus, and how it went passing from one civilization. Moreover; it will show how each civilization contributed with something that at the end helpe d it to become what it is today, the most study mathematical subject around the world. 1. IntroductionsRead More The History of Math Essay4790 Words   |  20 Pagesof Babylonia and to Egypt of the 3rd millennium BC. There mathematics was dominated by arithmetic, with an emphasis on measurement and calculation in geometry and with no trace of later mathematical concepts such as axioms or proofs. The earliest Egyptian texts, composed about 1800 BC, reveal a decimal numeration system with separate symbols for the successive powers of 10 (1, 10, 100, and so forth), just as in the system used by the Romans. Numbers were represented by writing down the symbol forRead MoreWhy Beauty id Truth by Ian Stewart1222 Words   |  5 PagesHistory of Symmetry by Ian Stewart is in depth on how mathematicians came about symmetry. Instead of coming across symmetry by geometry as someone today might think, Stewart shows how it became an idea by algebra. Most of the book is told in chronological order from the early Egyptians and Babylonians discovery of the quadratic equation and leadi ng up to the impossibility to solve the quintic equation. Through each chapter we see how mathematicians get one step closer to solving the quintic, and their