About
Mathematics is the oldest and most universal science — developed independently across civilizations. Babylonian mathematicians solved quadratic equations (1800 BCE); Egyptian mathematics built the pyramids; Greek mathematics (Euclid, Archimedes, Pythagoras) established proof and geometry; Indian mathematicians invented zero (c. 5th century CE) and the decimal number system; Arab mathematicians developed algebra (al-Khwarizmi, 9th century CE).
Mathematics underpins all natural science, engineering, economics, and increasingly biology and social science. Some of the greatest intellectual achievements are purely mathematical: Newton and Leibniz's calculus, Euler's formula (e^iπ + 1 = 0, 'the most beautiful equation'), Gödel's Incompleteness Theorems, and Andrew Wiles's proof of Fermat's Last Theorem (1995, after 358 years unsolved).
# Top 10 Mathematics History facts
- 1Zero was invented in India around the 5th century CE — without it, modern mathematics and computing would be impossible
- 2Fermat's Last Theorem was unsolved for 358 years before Andrew Wiles proved it in 1995 — using mathematics that didn't exist when Fermat posed it
- 3Euler's formula (e^iπ + 1 = 0) connects five fundamental mathematical constants in one equation — voted the most beautiful in mathematics
Fascinating Facts
- ◆Zero was invented in India around the 5th century CE — without it, modern mathematics and computing would be impossible
- ◆Fermat's Last Theorem was unsolved for 358 years before Andrew Wiles proved it in 1995 — using mathematics that didn't exist when Fermat posed it
- ◆Euler's formula (e^iπ + 1 = 0) connects five fundamental mathematical constants in one equation — voted the most beautiful in mathematics
More in Science4 related
4
Science
Black Holes
The most extreme objects in the universe, where physics itself breaks down.
Interest95/100
3
Science
DNA Discovery
The double helix: discovering life's blueprint changed everything.
Interest94/100
36
Science
Evolution
Darwin's theory of natural selection explains the diversity of all life on Earth.
Interest82/100
37
Science
The Big Bang
The birth of the universe — from a hot, dense singularity to 13.8 billion years of cosmic evolution.
Interest81/100