The Story of Math 1, Movie/Documentary Review

Math began as a nature of the universe. Endless patterns and unlimited variables all waiting to be discovered by man.  The Egyptians used math in solving mundane problems they encountered from a day to day basis. They discovered patterns on their agriculture and used these patterns on growing their crops. The Egyptians used measurements and calculations for the distribution of crops and to measure the areas of their fields. The Egyptians were truly innovators since they created one of the first number system in history, a base 10 system that uses different symbols to illustrate a number. They also used fractions, which is of the utmost importance when it comes to transactions in trade and market. They also took an interest in shapes and figures, using abstract shapes like circles and triangles to use it in real life such as cutting papyrus or distributing land for farmers but their best contribution yet was the pyramid. The pyramid was a very impressive landmark since the Egyptians didn’t have the proper technology or the sufficient knowledge in math and geometry at that time to build it. They unknowingly used the Pythagorean Theorem and ropes in calculating their buildings.

It wasn’t only the Egyptians that recorded their discoveries in math but also the Babylonians, they recorded them in tablets and they had their own system of education for math. The Babylonians too had a number system and this time it recognized a place value and is in base 60. They also unknowingly used quadratic equations in calculating the area of land; they were using geometric figures to solve complex problems and also using it for its own sake.  There is evidence in the tablets of Babylonians that they used Pythagorean Triples, suggesting that they too have used it long before it was even known. What’s outstanding is that they taught and used irrational numbers or square root of 2 which suggests great skill and love for the nature of math.

Now the Greek were obsessed with knowledge even when they were under siege they were still answering and studying for knowledge. They excelled in both fields in Mathematics and Philosophy, once mathematician was known very well , his name was Pythagoras. He formulated Pythagoras theory which states that in any right angle triangle build squares on all the sides then the area of the largest square is equal to the sum of the squares of the two smaller sides. This theory wasn’t exclusive to the Greeks which stated before that both the Egyptians and Babylonians used this theory before and always used them. Greeks simply gave it a name.  They didn’t stopped there, they were so passionate about knowing more they related geometry and life, that knowing mathematics means that you’re knowing life and knowing geometry lets you know secrets of the universe.

                Man’s pursuit for more knowledge cannot be quenched, from eons ago till now we still use math in our everyday life. This just shows the importance of it and its relevance. From mundane activities to answering complex equations its typically impossible for us not to use it. Thanks to the discoveries of our ancestors we know make sense of these random patterns and systematize them to our understanding.