Babylonian and Egyptian

Mathematics
Introduction
 Babylon
 refers to any mathematics in Mesopotamia
 more than 400 clay tablets
 Cuneiform script
 approximation to √2
 Sexadecimal numeral system (base 60)
 Egyptian mathematics
 Refers to mathematics written in the
egyptian language
 Greek replaced Egyptian as the written
language of Egyptian scholars - Hellenistic
mathematics
 when Arabic became the written language
of Egyptian scholars – Islamic
mathematics
 oldest text – Moscow papyrus (2000 –
1800 BC)
 word or story problems
 volume of frustum
 Rhind papyrus(1650 BC)
Egyptian Mathematics
 earliest fully developed base 10
numeration system
Babylonian mathematics
 fractions, algebra, quadratic and cubic
equations
 calculation of Pythagorean triples
 multiplication tables, trigonometry tables
and methods for solving linear and
quadratic equations
 Numerals
 written in cuneiform on a soft clay tablet
 astrological observations and calculations
 Abacus
 positional numeral system with base 60
(divisible by 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 10, 12, 15,
20, and 30) which appeared 1900 BC to
1800 BC.
 only two symbols for digits
 radix point was not used but was made
clear from context
 space was left to indicate a place without
value - zero, later on they devised a sign
 degrees, time
 pre-calculated tables to assist
 used the lists of squares together with the
formulas
 Division

 table of reciprocals
 Quadratic equation