LIN 1102 B

NUMBERS AND MATHEMATIC

1 It is said that mathematic is the base of all other sciences; and that arithmetic, the science of
numbers, is the base of mathematic, so that it is not possible to think of a modern society without
them.
4 Nobody knows exactly when men began using numbers, but the earliest mathematic records may
be about 30,000 years old. This can be deduced by ancient marks found in stones and drawings
in caves.
7 Math appeared as an answer to people’s needs. Before that, they only had their hands and fingers
to count and measure things and this is the reason why the decimal system is still being used.
10 Numbers consist of whole numbers which are formed by digits of Arabic origin (0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6,
7, 8 and 9) and combinations of them. Parts of numbers smaller than 1 are expressed in terms of
fractions, but in scientific practice they are given as decimals. This is because it is easier to
perform the various mathematical operations if decimals are used instead of fractions. The main
operations are to add, to subtract, to multiply and to divide; also, to square, cube or raise to any
other power; to take a square, cube or any other root; and to find a ratio or proportion between
pairs of numbers or series of numbers. Thus, the decimal or ten – scale system is used for
scientific purposes throughout the world.
18 The other scale in use today is the binary or two – scale system, in which numbers are expressed
by a combination of only two digits: 0 and 1. This scale is perfectly adapted to the ‘off-on’ pulses
of electricity, so it is being widely used in electronic computers. Data and instructions are both
stored by the computer as binary digits: ‘0’ representing no current (or no pulse) and ‘1’
representing a current (or pulse). These electronic pulses are used to carry information to and
from the various components of the CPU and peripherals.
24 Other branches of mathematics such as algebra and geometry are also extensively used in many
fields of science, technology and even in some areas of philosophy. Other extensions such as
probability theory or group theory are now being applied to various activities like economics,
experiment design, war and politics. Finally, knowledge of statics, another important application
of mathematic, is required by every sort of scientific research for the analysis of data, which is
the foundation of the modern information revolution.