The Story of Maths

           The BBC Documentary, The Story of Maths, basically narrated how Mathematics evolved and why it became the language of the universe.

            It was mentioned that the world where we live in, the Earth, is made up of patterns and sequences. We are surrounded by such, just like the sequence of how the day becomes night, the different patterns of stripes in zebras. And because we needed to find a way of how these patterns developed, Mathematics came in to the picture.

            The first civilization that was discussed was the Egyptian Civilization. The patterns that they began to notice and eventually studied were the flooding of the Nile River. They recorded the number of days in between its flooding or between lunar phases. These records were not only essential to their economy but also to their religion.

            The Egyptians then found a way to measure things, particularly their land. They used their bodies as basis for measurement. The length from the elbow to the fingertips is called a cubit. Land cubits were used to determine how big an area of a farmer is since it would be the basis in collecting taxes.

            They have also discovered decimal systems just buy using the ten fingers of one’s hands. However, there were difficulties encountered with this kind of system. So they made use of recording their mathematical discoveries and solutions in a papyrus.

            Fractions were one of the most important discoveries of the Egyptians. These fractions were represented in a hieroglyphic symbol which they called Eye of Horus. It was said to be the first “geometric series”.

            The narrator then travelled to Damascus, wherein he linked the Mesopotamia with Egypt. Clay tablets that were discovered showed records of Babylon’s early living. They invented a number system which is more complex. They used 12 knuckles on one hand and 5 fingers of the other hand, which in turn paved the way for the 60 base number system. Because of this number system, we are now able to tell the time. Aside from that, one of the great discoveries or inventions by the Babylonians is the zero. They have also recognized place value. The unforgettable quadratic equation we used to memorize back in high school was their greatest contribution. They have developed brighter mathematical ideas. According to the host/ narrator, we should be blaming the Babylonians now for the complex mathematical problems we encounter in school.

            Greece, on the other hand, is the home of the greatest thinkers and mathematicians alike such as Plato, Pythagoras, Archimedes and Euclid. Their civilization advanced their imperial reach in the old Mesopotamia and took the best from other civilizations to also make contributions in the field of mathematics themselves. One big contribution that they imparted us up until now is the power of the truth. They don’t justify it as the truth also, unless there is enough proof to support the claims. Such proof gives strength to Mathematical solutions and such proof makes the discoveries of the Greeks by 330BC as true as it is today.

            The documentary was quite interesting. I never knew such things before since we were, as little kids learning basic arithmetic, only exposed to adding and subtracting. Now that we are much older and knowledgeable, we were taught to solve mathematical problems which do not only involve numbers but also the alphabet. Although I am familiar with Pythagoras and other mathematicians, I have never known that he experimented with stringed instruments and related math to music. I never knew how or who came up with the quadratic equations. All of the concepts I have learned were perhaps, only learned because it was as if shoved down my throat because I need to and I have to learn it as part of the curriculum. For me, for us to appreciate Mathematics not only as a subject but also a part of our life, perhaps way of life. I think it is time to learn its history and how it evolved.

In a Communication Arts student’s perspective, I think that the video documentary was really planned and crafted in a detailed manner. The story was written in sequence and in perfect transition; although it would have been better if there were subtitles available since the narrator/host has a heavy British accent. The video itself also has a great transition effects. In one scene, the host was just putting small stones in circles, explaining how the Egyptians got the area of the circle. Then, that circle shifted and became the moon and when the moon was zoomed out, the whole Pyramids of Egypt was shown. Thus, narrating another part of the contributions of Egyptians in Mathematics by explaining how the Golden Ratio was linked to the Pyramids. The video has shown not only a story but the relationship of these things and concepts to both history and math.