The Brains inside the Brain

Part Two

      The movie “The Story of Math ( The Genius of the East) is the second part of the four-part series movie about the history of mathematics. Presented by Marcus Sautory an Oxford professor.

The movie views the two different fate of mathematics in the West and East during the dark ages. As the dark ages crept into Europe their mathematical progress made a stop, but in the East mathematics reached a whole new level.

       In this 2^nd part of Mr. Sautory's world tour, first stop is China where mathematical discoveries are mostly done by their great emperors. An example is the decimal place value system we know today. The magic square, a 3x3 square composed of nine squares with numbers 1-9 written inside that if you add them horizontally, vertically or in diagonal the sum will always be equal to 15. The Chinese number system doesn't have zeros because they don't need one. They use the symbol “X” as a representation of unknown objects or equations. So imagine how long people have been looking for the value of and how such a tiny symbol gives a big-time headache to everyone.

        It is also said that the discovery of Emperor Chin is quite similar to Isaac Newton's. The Chinese numerical system is base 10 this influence the Hindu Arabic number system we know today. Their progress in the field of mathematics serves as the base for the amazing engineering of The Great Wall of China.

Next stop is India where the discovery of the representation of zero took place. It is said that the symbol “0” was discovered when Indian people use stones to solve mathematical problems on the sand. As they remove one stone and another stone, leaving only an empty hollowed circular mark by the which they assume as nothingness.

        Indian numerical system is based on their culture, they believe that we come from nothingness we will go back to nothingness therefore we should represent nothingness, An Indian mathematician discovered and interpreted negative numbers and infinity, it is said that it started with debt ( 0 + N= N, N-0= N, 0xN= 0 and 0/ N= ∞). The discovery of negative and infinite numbers even if not exact still it gives ideas that serves as an introduction to trigonometry and geometry. Calculating the astronomical distance of the sun from the Earth than the moon is an introduction to geometry and trigonometry, using right triangle or 3-4-5 triangle. Infinity is also a tool in discovering the formula of pi that contributes a lot to trigonometry and even to the present mathematics.

         In Monaco the geometric patterns, calculation, addition,reduction, text plans are based on Hindu Arabic numeral system and where quadratic equations was discovered. Hayan's Cubic equation made the separation of algebra from geometry. According to a story the spread of Eastern knowledge to the west started when a father and a son from the west traveled to the East during the dark ages. From there the son learned the Hindu Arabic system that later on when they went back to the west he shared the Eastern knowledge to the West. That was then the start of the influence of the Eastern mathematics to the West that remained until the present. Leonardo Fibonacci creator of Fibonacci sequence also greatly contributed on the spread of Eastern knowledge to the West.

         The movie will contribute a lot to any ones mathematical knowledge. For me the part where I found out that negative and infinite numbers was discovered because of debt is the most amazing part especially  when he showed how the Indian mathematician discovered the idea of infinite numbers. Back from high school or even now i still have fears in infinite and negative numbers but not as great as before knowing it was interpreted from debts. I think I can start loving math from scratch. 

       I say Mathematics is a language of the Universe because if we solve 1 equation even if we are at the opposite sides of the globe, we will still arrive in a same answer using the right formula and techniques. It is true that they are the Geniuses of the East if Genius would be the best word to describe them. They made our mathematics possible today.

Marian <3