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1800 BCE
Quadratic Equations
Berlin Papyrus 6619 is a document created by the Ancient Egyptians. It's purpose was to answer to question of quadratic equations, one of which stemmed into the Pythagorean Theorem. During 1800 B.C., Ancient Egyptian mathematicians founded a quadratic equation with it's solutions and wrote them in the Berlin Papyrus! -
100 BCE
Simultaneous Linear Equations - Solved!
A Chinese Mathematics book called "Jiuzhang seance" (The Nine Chapters on the Mathematical Art), contained solutions of linear equations that were solved using the rule of double false position, solutions of quadratic equations, and the solutions of matrices to solve simultaneous linear equations. -
200
Arithmetica is Written
Diophantus, a Hellenistic mathematician, is considered to be the Father of Algebra. In 200 A.D., he wrote the book "Arithmetica" which contains solutions of algebraic equations and theory of numbers. -
628
Zero Now Exists
Brahmagupta writes a text and calls s Brahmasphuta-siddhanta. In this books, the number or value zero is clearly explained. The modern place-value Indian number system is also fully developed and the text gives rules for both negative and positive numbers, methods on computing square roots, solving linear and quadratic equations, and the Brahmagupta theorem. -
700
Unknown Variables are Born!
The Ancient Indian Bakhshali Manuscript uses a form of notation including letters of the alphabet and other symbols. Equations and solutions contain up to five unknown variables in this manuscript! The image shows the numerals used in the Bakhshali Manuscript. -
990
Monomials are Defined
Persian mathematician Al-Karaji builds off of Al-Khwarizmi's methods to incorporate integral powers and roots of unknown quantities. He replaces geometrical operations with modern arithmetical operations and defines monomials while giving rules to them. He also discovers the solution of the equations in the form of ax^n + bx^n = c. About 40 years later, he completely ostracizes algebraic operations and omits geometry from it. -
1130
Algebra is Defined
Al-Samawal, a muslim mathematician amongst other professions, gives a definition of algebra: “... operating on unknowns using all the arithmetical tools, in the same way as the arithmetician operates on the known.” -
Less Than & Greater Than - Symbols Created
Thomas Harriot, an English mathematician, amongst many other professions, is the first to use the symbols '<' for less than and '>' for greater than. Something odd: these were recognized in a posthumous publication. -
Simultaneous Linear Equations - Solved Again!
Leibniz, a German philosopher, solves systems of simultaneous linear equations using matrices and determinants! -
"E" is Proven Transcendental
Charles Hermite, a French mathematician, proves that "e" is incapable of being a root of an algebraic equation with rational roots.
