10 important fact of math that you may not know
Math is a fascinating subject that has many applications and discoveries. Here are some facts about math that you may not know:
- The word “mathematics” comes from the Greek word “mathema” which means “knowledge, study, learning”.
- The symbol for infinity (∞) was invented by John Wallis in 1655.
- The most popular number is 7, according to a poll conducted by Alex Bellos.
- There are different types of infinity, some bigger than others. This is known as the theory of transfinite numbers, developed by Georg Cantor in the late 19th century.
- The only number that cannot be represented by Roman numerals is zero.
- The Pythagorean theorem, which states that a² + b² = c² for a right triangle, was known by the Babylonians, Egyptians, and Chinese long before Pythagoras.
- The number π (pi), which is the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter, is irrational, meaning it cannot be expressed as a fraction of two integers. It has an infinite number of decimal digits that never repeat or end.
- The golden ratio, which is approximately 1.618, is a number that appears frequently in nature, art, and architecture. It is also known as the divine proportion, the golden mean, or the golden section.
- A googol is a number that is equal to 10¹⁰⁰, or a 1 followed by 100 zeros. A googolplex is a number that is equal to 10^(googol), or a 1 followed by a googol of zeros.
- The Fibonacci sequence is a series of numbers that starts with 1 and 1, and each subsequent number is the sum of the previous two. For example, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, … The ratio of two consecutive Fibonacci numbers converges to the golden ratio as the numbers get larger.
Source:
(1) 45 Amazing Facts About Maths – Oswal Publishers.
(2) 20 Cool Facts About Maths – Maths-Whizz.
(3) XtraMath – 10 minutes a day for math fact fluency.
(4) Flashcards | FactMonster.
(5) 20 Cool Facts About Math – Maths-Whizz.