Math Trivia When was the concept of zero invented? Zero is believed to have originated in India in the 9th century.
How many digits of Pi have been recorded? Computers had calculated pi to 2.7 trillion digits in 2010.
When was the concept of infinity invented? The earliest record of the use of mathematical infinity are from Zeno of Elea in Greece, circa 490 BCE.
What is the record for memorizing the digits of pi? In 2006, Akira Haraguchi memorized 100,000 digits of pi.
When was pi discovered? Since pi is an irrational number, it was very difficult to accurately calculate its value. The earliest approximations may have been calculated in Babylon and Egypt, but Archimedes was probably the first to come close to its true nature in Greece around 250 BC. When was algebra invented? Diophantus of 3rd century Greece is generally credited as the “father of algebra”. When was geometry invented? Euclid of 300 BC Greece is generally credited as the “father of geometry”. When was calculus invented? Gottfried Leibniz and Isaac Newton are both credited with inventing calculus independently. Newton probably completed his work first, but didn’t publish until 1693. Leibniz published in 1684. When was trigonometry invented? Hipparchus of 2nd century Greece first developed the field. Who invented the mechanical calculator? Blaise Pascal created the first calculator in France in 1642. What is piphilology? The practice of memorizing large amounts of the series of digits of pi.
When was the metric system invented? Many people had previously suggested a decimal system of measurement, and the metric system was first adopted by France in 1799. What countries use the metric system? America is the only industrialized nation that does not use the metric system. It has been reported that Burma and Liberia also continue to use the English system of measurement. How are the British names for large numbers different from the American names? 1,000,000,000 = billion in America, thousand million in England. 1,000,000,000,000 = trillion in America, billion in England. 1,000,000,000,000,000 = quadrillion in America, thousand billion in England. 1,000,000,000,000,000,000 = quintillion in America, trillion in England. What is a vinculum? The number sign (#). What is an obelus? The division backslash (/). What is an octothorpe? The horizontal division bar (-----). What is a virgule? The division sign (÷).
How many ways are there to make change for a dollar? 293. The opposite sides of dice always add up to what value? 7. What is the Fibonacci Sequence? The first two numbers are 0 and 1, and each subsequent number is the sum of the previous two. This series appears frequently in nature. Among shapes with the same perimeter, which will have the largest area? A circle. What is a googol? The number 1 followed by 100 zeros. What is a googolplex? The number 1 followed by 1 googol zeros. There is not enough room in the universe to write this number. What is exponential growth? Growth rate that becomes ever more rapid in proportion to the growing total. What is game theory? This branch of mathematics that attempts to predict the outcomes of strategic situations has a long informal history. It emerged as a defined field of mathematics following the publication of a paper in 1928 by John von Neumann. What famous mathematician said, “Do not worry too much about your difficulties in mathematics, I can assure you that mine are still greater.”? Albert Einstein. NewSullivanPrep.com
