“ Math there at the West, Math here on the East...”

         To reveal the untold secrets that lie beneath the Great Wall of China and the empire it protects, the belief of the Indians to nothingness that lead to birth of a new number, the knowledge hidden in the House of Wisdom In Baghdad that extended throughout the Islamic Empire and the mathematical side of Europe particularly in Italy.... This is the journey to the East.

          The second part of The Story of Maths is entitled The Genius of the East. His first destination was China where the Decimal Place Value System was first conceptualized. Although Chinese don't have symbol for zero, it wasn't a hindrance for them to make numerous and great contributions to the field of mathematics. In addition, it is also in China where the magic square started and math was used in 'other' way. This 'other' way refers to the use of math to organize 121 women of the emperor in 15 nights. This was called geometric progression. Isn't it fascinating? Joking aside, another contribution of the ancient China is the solution of solving equations.

          Next stop is India. It through them that the new number, which is widely used throughout the world, was introduced, the zero. Thus the formation of larger numbers is not impossible. A cultural belief was behind this imaginative representation. In their religion, they believed that 'Universe was born out of nothingness and this nothingness is the ultimate goal of humanity. It is also in India that the way we calculate with zero originated.

1 + 0 = 0 1 – 0 = 1 1 x 0 = 0 1 / 0 = infinity

          Negative numbers were also one of their contributions in mathematics. They called them debts. They also conceptualized the quadratic equations, trigonometry, and pi. Lastly, Indian mathematics was really amazing because they think numbers are abstract entities that floating free around this physical world.

          Third is the Islamic Empire. The house of Kingdom, a great library in Baghdad, teaches astronomy, medicine, chemistry, zoology and mathematics. The mathematicians in Islamic Empire are also the one who created the Hindu-Arabic Numerals which is used around the world nowadays. It was also here that algebra was born. Algebra is said to be the grammar that underlies the way that numbers work. Then the problem of solving cubic equation arise. Persian mathematicians tried to but they were still held back by the Geometric heritage by the Greece. So it took 500 years for mathematicians to discover the solution for solving all cubic equations. And this discovery took place in Italy at the West.

          Many mathematicians in Italy thought that there are just unsolvable equations. But one scholar named Tartaglia who answered one cubic equation. In the end, he was not credited for his formula because of Cardan who had Tartaglia's equation spread throughout the world.

          The movie was really informative. It does not tell us about Math alone but the progressive steps it took and that East was never left behind on Mathematical issues. In fact, their contributions to the evolution of math was greater than the West.

          For me, this movie was again about the importance of Mathematics in our lives, not only as a solution to problems but as well as an explanation to everything. It is really amazing how these mathematicians thought and sought of way to have an answer of everything. Aren't you inspired? The challenge is still up for those people who want to be one of the greatest persons in the world of math. You might be the next Qin Jiushao, Brahmagupta, and Madhava.

          Math has truly ruled over the East and the West. Many discoveries were made and many are yet to come...