What is Mathematics?

Mathematics is the study of numbers, quantities, shapes and patterns, and the relationships between them, using logical reasoning. The word comes from the Greek mathema, which means learning or knowledge.

What makes mathematics different

• It uses symbols as a short, exact language. "A number added to 5 gives 12" is written x + 5 = 12. Anyone in the world can read it.
• It depends on logical proof. In science, an idea is tested by experiment. In mathematics, a statement is proved by reasoning step by step, and once proved, it is true forever. Pythagoras' theorem, proved over 2,000 years ago, is still true today.
• It finds patterns and general rules. Adding any two odd numbers always gives an even number: 3 + 5 = 8, 7 + 9 = 16.
• It is exact. An answer is either right or wrong; there is no "almost correct" in a calculation.

Mathematics is the language of science

Every science uses mathematics: physicists write laws as formulas (speed = distance ÷ time), chemists calculate amounts of chemicals with moles, biologists use statistics to compare results, and engineers use geometry and calculus to design bridges and machines.

The numbers we use

The digits 0 to 9, with place value (where the position of a digit sets its value), were developed in India. The Muslim mathematician Al-Khwarizmi explained this system in Arabic, and from there it spread to Europe and the whole world. That is why they are called Hindu-Arabic numerals.