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history of mathematics - National STEM Centre

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30<br />

Figure 12. 7<br />

Transcription <strong>of</strong> Figure 2.8b<br />

Summaries and exercises<br />

1 Introduction to the Babylonians<br />

Chapter summary<br />

• general background (whole chapter).<br />

Practice exercises<br />

There are no practice exercises for this chapter.<br />

2 Babylonian <strong>mathematics</strong><br />

Chapter summary<br />

• an introduction to the Babylonian number system (Activities 2.1 to 2.5)<br />

• Babylonian arithmetic (Activity 2.6)<br />

• the Babylonian method for finding square roots (Activities 2.7 to 2.9)<br />

• solution <strong>of</strong> quadratic equations (Activities 2.10 and 2.11)<br />

• Babylonian geometry (Activities 2.12 and 2.13).<br />

Practice exercises<br />

1 Look at Figure 12.1 and answer the following questions.<br />

a Using your calculator or otherwise, convert 42; 25,35 and 1; 24,51,10 into<br />

decimal numbers. Give your answers to at least seven significant figures accuracy.<br />

b To which number is 1; 24,51,10 an approximation?<br />

c Describe a geometric algorithm to estimate square roots which the Babylonians<br />

may have used to calculate this approximation.<br />

d Write the algorithm to calculate -

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