Mathematics was not created by a single individual but developed over thousands of years through contributions from many ancient civilizations and key figures.
- The earliest evidence of written mathematics dates back to the ancient Sumerians in Mesopotamia, who developed the first counting systems around 4000 years ago
- Ancient Egyptians and Babylonians also made foundational advances, using math for practical purposes like trade, astronomy, and building structures such as pyramids
- The Greeks significantly advanced mathematics around 2,500 years ago. Pythagoras is known for the Pythagorean theorem and the idea that "all is number," while Euclid formalized mathematics through axioms and proofs in his influential work Elements around 300 BC
- Archimedes, often called the "father of mathematics," made important discoveries in geometry and calculus and greatly influenced the field's development
- Other cultures contributed key concepts: Indian mathematician Aryabhata introduced zero and the decimal system, while Islamic scholars like Al-Khwarizmi developed algebra
- During the Scientific Revolution, mathematicians such as René Descartes, Isaac Newton, and Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz further formalized and expanded mathematics, including calculus
In summary, mathematics evolved gradually through the efforts of many civilizations—Sumerians, Egyptians, Babylonians, Greeks, Indians, and others—and was shaped by numerous mathematicians rather than invented by one person
