Here are some collections of Math trivia that can amaze everybody in all ages! The following Math trivia helps us to better understand the nature of Mathematics. These Math trivia will surely awaken your interest in Mathematics. Enjoy Math!
- Odd Numbers and Even Numbers
Did you know how the idea of odd numbers and even numbers came to be? The history of odd and even numbers were traced in ancient China. The Chinese use to divide numbers into male and female. In one of the Chinese ancient classics, written around 1159 B.C., numbers were divided into two sets. This concept was later used to differentiate odd numbers from even numbers.
- The Discovery of Zero
Zero was first used in a Hindu engraving around 876 A.D. It was considered one of the most important finding in the history of mathematics.
- The Origin of the Hindu-Arabic Numeral System.
The numbers we used today were invented by the Hindus. The Arabs spread the system to other people in other times. This is the reason why we call our numeral system the Hindu-Arabic system.
===Reference: Math Talino G1, Vol. 3 Issue # 2 , page 3===
- Biggest Number?
What is the biggest imaginable Number? It is actually very difficult to think one. Edward Kasner,Ph.D., author of mathematics books, made up one number called a googol which is a 1 followed by a hundred zeroes. His nephew suggested an even bigger number called googolplex. The googolplex is 1 followed by as many zeros as one can write.
===Reference: Math Talino G1, Vol.3 Issue # 3 , page 3===
- The Creation of the First Coins
Did you know that the first coins ever made were in the shape of beans? They were made of lumps of a metal called electrum, a mixture of gold and silver. The coins were stamped with the king’s head to guarantee their value. The first coins were made in place in Turkey called Lydia; thus, they were called Lydian coins. Other countries soon got the idea and made their own coins.
===Reference: Math Talino G3, Vol.3 Issue # 1 , page 3===
- Chinese Tangrams
One of the most popular puzzles in the 19th century was the Chinese tangram. The earliest known reference to it was in a Chinese book dated 1813. The tangram was made up of seven pieces with the following shapes: (Dear hanap ka nang picture nang tangrams tapos paki paste na lan po)
===Reference: Math Talino G3, Vol.3 Issue # 3 , page 3===
- Why Do People Wear Their Watches on Their Left Lower Hand?
Did you ever wonder why people wear their watches on their lower left hand? This is mainly because of tradition. People in earlier times used watches with a stem ( the round part of your watch) close to number 3. In this position it would be awkward to wind the left hand, thus one would have to use the right hand. So, people have decided to place their watch on the left hand to make their winding easier.
- Numbers of Hours in a Day
Did you know that the numbers of hours in a day last five million years ago was only 22 hours? Because of the slowing down of the earth’s rotation, a day lasts 24hours now.
- Why is Friday the 13th Unlucky?
Friday the 13th is considered an unlucky day because, historically, Friday is a day of calamity. Jesus died on a Friday. And the great flood in the Bible began on a Friday. The number 13 is a catastrophic number. The Greek philosophers and mathematicians scorned on it as the imperfect number.
- Magic Squares
In all magic squares, the sum across, down or diagonally is the same. The earliest appearance of a magic square is about 2200 B.C. in ancient China. It was called lo-shu. Legend has it that Emperor Yu rode on the back of a divine turtle on the bank of the Yellow River and from there he made the first magic square.
In the West, magic squares were first mentioned in the work of Theon of Smyrna. In the 19th century, Arabian astrologers used them in their horoscope calculations.
- The Origin of the Term Algebra
Have you ever heard of the word algebra? The origin of the term algebra can be traced in the middle east. The world algebra came from the elderly mathematician Al-Khwarizmi. He lived somewhere in the middle east. Very little is known about him. His family seems to have come from Persia (today Iran), and he became part of the scientific academy in Baghdad, Iraq.
His famous book was called Hisab al-Jabr wa-al-Mugabala. The word algebra came from the al-jabr.
===Reference: Math Talino G3, Vol. 3 Issue # 3 , page 23===
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