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A Math Quest

A Math Quest. Information based on the website of the University of St. Andrews School of Mathematics and Statistics in Scotland at http://www-maths.mcs.st-andrews.ac.uk/. Question 1 -Definition of Math.

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A Math Quest

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  1. A Math Quest Information based on the website of the University of St. Andrews School of Mathematics and Statistics in Scotland at http://www-maths.mcs.st-andrews.ac.uk/.

  2. Question 1 -Definition of Math According to http://www-groups.dcs.st-and.ac.uk/~history/HistTopics/History_overview.html., math is more than just being able to count. Mathematics began when men could put numbers and ideas into __________.

  3. Question 2 – History- Egyptians • Egyptians used hierographs to form their numbers. This site demonstrates how they used hierographs to count: • http://www-groups.dcs.st-and.ac.uk/~history/HistTopics/Egyptian_numerals.html • Using the information and charts from this site, write on your answer sheet the hierograph for the number “8

  4. Question 3- History- Babylonians Through the centuries, how people expressed written numbers has changed and morphed. The Babylonians used a numerical system based on 60. Check it out at: http://www-groups.dcs.st-and.ac.uk/~history/HistTopics/Babylonian_numerals.html. How is the number “8” written in this culture?

  5. Question 4 – History- Greeks • Historically the Greek culture represented many different island states which each had their own money and numerical system. See “Different forms of 50 in different Greek States” in the 4th table on this site: • http://www-groups.dcs.st-and.ac.uk/~history/HistTopics/Greek_numbers.html. • However we can examine one of the first Greek number systems, called the “acrophonic system.” “Acrophonic” means that the symbol for the number is based on the first letter of the word for that number. • Write the number “8” in the Greek acrophonic system.

  6. Question 5 -History -Chinese • In an archeological dig in China, a large number of tortoise shells were discovered with ancient Chinese numbers on them. Using the chart found at • http://www-groups.dcs.st-and.ac.uk/~history/HistTopics/Chinese_numerals.html. • Write the number 8 in ancient Chinese._____ • Now check out the “abacus” near the bottom of the site. Draw how you would represent the number “8” on an abacus from the 1300’s ___________

  7. Question 6: History - Mayan • According to http://www-groups.dcs.st-and.ac.uk/~history/HistTopics/Mayan_mathematics.html. the Mayan civilization developed a base 20 system, probably because it is the number of fingers and toes one can use to count on. • Check out the Mayan numerical chart at this site and write the number symbol for 8. _____

  8. Question 7: History - Incas • The Incas of South America, in the 1500’s, used a “quipu” to store numbers on. It consisted of knots tied on strings. The knots were tied in specific groupings to represent a specific number. Check out the quipu at • http://www-groups.dcs.st-and.ac.uk/~history/HistTopics/Inca_mathematics.html. • Now draw a quipu representing the number 8 on your answer sheet.

  9. Question 8 – History –Indian/Arabic • Indian numerals, (see http://www-groups.dcs.st-and.ac.uk/~history/HistTopics/Indian_numerals.html.) through a complex series of twist and turns, passed to the Arabic/Islamic culture, which in turn passed them to Europe. This system became the basis for our current numerical system. How did “8’ look in the Indian “Brahmi” form: ___ • At http://www-groups.dcs.st-and.ac.uk/~history/HistTopics/Arabic_numerals.html. find the tables with the Arabic number 8 and write on the answer sheet how it looked: • in al-Sizji’s treatise of 969: ___ • in al-Biruni’s treatise copied in 1082: ____ • in al-Banna al-Marrakushi’s form of the numerals: ____

  10. Question 9: Famous Mathematicians • At http://www-groups.dcs.st-and.ac.uk/~history/Day_files/Now.html., • Find a mathematician who was born on this date. ____ • Then find a mathematician who died on this date. ____ • Also write down the 1st 3 words of the quote for today and who said it. ______ _______

  11. Question 10 – Time Line • Using this site: http://www-groups.dcs.st-and.ac.uk/~history/Timelines/WhoWasThere.html., name a famous mathematician who was alive in the year 200 B.C. Note: Enter BC dates as negative integers! • Name a famous mathematician who was 48 years old in 1500.____ What was his favorite math topic? _____ • Look at http://www-history.mcs.st-andrews.ac.uk/history/Miscellaneous/b_d_stats.html. What month did the most mathematicians in this archive die in? ______

  12. Question 11- Biographies- Women • Check out Hypatia of Alexandria (370-415 AD) at http://www-groups.dcs.st-and.ac.uk/~history/Biographies/Hypatia.html. • Fact: She was a woman of science and learning long before it was fashionable for women to be well-educated. As a result, she did not die a natural death. How did she die?____________

  13. Question 12- Biographies- Women • At http://www-groups.dcs.st-and.ac.uk/~history/Biographies/Lovelace.html. • check out Augusta Ada King, countess of Lovelace (1815-1852 AD) • Fact: Her father was the famous English poet ___________. Since her mother and father separated when Ada was very young, her mother raised her. She wanted Ada to be anything but a poet, so she encouraged Ada to study mathematics. Ada translated Menabrea’s notes on Babbage’s work on the analytical engine, but without encouragement from her husband or family, she did not continue her work in mathematics and died at age 37 of cancer.

  14. Question 13 – Biographies - Women • Check out Florence Nightingale (1820-1910 AD) at http://www-groups.dcs.st-and.ac.uk/~history/Biographies/Nightingale.html. • Interesting fact: Mainly known as a nurse during the Crimean War, Florence was very interested in mathematics as a youth and finally convinced her parents to allow her to study math. By the time of her death, she was very famous. • According to the website, what mathematical skills did she use during the war to persuade others to adopt the sanitary reforms she proposed? She drew __________________________ (see an example near the bottom of the page)

  15. Question 14- Biographies - Men • Go to the biography of Pythagoras of Samos (569-475 BC) at http://www-groups.dcs.st-and.ac.uk/~history/Mathematicians/Pythagoras.html. • Fact: None of Pythagoras’ writings remain, yet he is considered a very famous mathematician. Pythagoras spent some time in Egypt and that is said to have influenced the rules he set for a secret society he formed. The inner circle of this society was composed of members called mathematikoi. They gave up all possessions, lived together, were vegetarians, and followed Pythagoras’ teachings. • What geometry theorem is he famous for proving? ___________

  16. Question 15- Biographies • Go to the biography of Euclid of Alexandria 325-265 BC) at http://www-groups.dcs.st-and.ac.uk/~history/Biographies/Euclid.html. • The author of the site states that Euclid’s famous work called_______________was “a compilation of knowledge that became the centre of mathematical teaching for 2000 years” and thus Euclid must be “the leading mathematics teacher of all time” because of the “long lasting nature” of his work.

  17. Question 16- Biographies • Go to http://www-groups.dcs.st-and.ac.uk/~history/Biographies/Archimedes.html. • Archimedes (287 – 212 BC) played a joke on his friends in Alexandria who were claiming some of his work (mathematical theorems) as their own. What did he send them to stop this? _______ • What is Archimedes’ screw? ______________ • In addition to mathematics, what else was Archimedes famous for (hint: used in warfare): ___________ and (hint: used to move large weight by pulling on cords): __________

  18. Question 17- Biographies • Check out Leonard of Pisa (1170-1250 AD) (Fibonacci) at http://www-groups.dcs.st-and.ac.uk/~history/Biographies/Fibonacci.html. • What is the famous sequence he discovered that is mentioned in “The da Vinci Code”? • ____________

  19. Question 18- Biographies • Go to the biography of Rene Descartes (1596-1650 AD) at http://www-groups.dcs.st-and.ac.uk/~history/Biographies/Descartes.html. • Fact: Descartes is famous for his work “Discours de la methode pour bien conduire sa raison et chercher la verite dans les sciences”and particularly for the appendix to it called “La Geometrie” • In geometry, what is named after him? (Hint the Cartesian _________)

  20. Question 19- Biographies • Go to the biography of Blaise Pascal (1623-1662) at http://www-groups.dcs.st-and.ac.uk/~history/Biographies/Pascal.html. • Fact: Blaise Pascal’s father home schooled him. He did not want Blaise to study mathematics until he was 15, so he removed all the math books from the house. This only made Blaise more interested in mathematics. • To help his father and make his tax-collecting job easier, Pascal invented the first digital __________ called the _______________.

  21. Question 20- Biographies - Men • Check out Benjamin Banneker (1731-1806) at http://www-groups.dcs.st-and.ac.uk/~history/Biographies/Banneker.html. • Benjamin Banneker was the son of a freed slave and the grandson of a women expelled from England because she was accused of stealing milk. (She was condemned to die, but the sentence was changed to sending her “to the colonies.”) Banneker became famous for his ability to make and solve mathematical puzzles. Can you solve the mathematical puzzle at the bottom of the page? ____

  22. Review • There are many, many more famous mathematicians, including Abel, Aristotle, Babbage, Celsius, Copernicus, Einstein, Fahrenheit, Fermat, Leibniz, Newton, Ptolemy, Venn, and Von Neumann. Look at the list your teacher can provided for you of “Math Greats.” • Now that you know a few facts about the history of math and some famous men and women mathematicians, you are ready for the Turning Point game. See how many you can get right. Good luck! • The END

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