The scope of Egyptian Mathematics essays

The scope of Egyptian Mathematics essays Mathematics is an advanced science that is connected to all other sciences and branches of study. The ancient Egyptians were possible the first civilization to practice the scientific arts. Ancient Egyptians had an advanced understanding of mathematics, because there are overwhelming examples in engineering, astronomy and administrators would not have been possible. Classical Greeks believed mathematics to have been invented in Egypt. (Fauvel 14) There are many different views on the origin of Egyptian mathematics believed to be practical need rather than intellectual interest. One classical Greek point of view is from Proclus fifth century AD: According to most accounts geometry was first discovered among the Egyptians, taking its origin from measurement of areas. For they found it necessary by reason of the rising of the Nile, which wiped out everybodys proper boundaries. Nor is there anything surprising in that the discovery both of this and of the other sciences should have its origin in a practical need, since everything which is in process of becoming progresses from the imperfect to perfect. Thus the transition from perception to reasoning and from reasoning to understanding is natural. Just as exact knowledge of numbers received its origin among Phoenicians by reason of trade and contracts, even so geometry was discovered among the Egyptians for aforesaid reason.(Fauvel 21) Therefore, the scope of ancient Egyptian mathematics must have been great by example of their architecture, government, economics, their design of extensive irrigation canals, the organization of their armies, the building of seagoing ships, the levying and collection of taxes and the proper organization of a civilization that existed successfully, virtually unchanged, for centuries longer than that of any other nation in recorded history. Our first knowledge of the mathematics of ancient Egypt, comes from two primary ancien...