I think the reason why 60 might be a convenient, significant, or especially useful number to use as the base for a number notational system is related to how we count time. 1 hour consists of 60 mins and 1-minute consists of 60 seconds and also 6 o'clock divides the clock/circle perfectly into 2 halves. In many ancient countries, 6 and 9 two magic numbers, especially 6 is considered as a number with peace and balance. When we think about time, a year has 12 months which is 2 times 6 as well.
Surprisedly, we still have 60 seconds in 1 minute and 60 minutes in 1 hour! Seems like how we record time never really changed. In many cultures, there are still a lot of traditions that have close relationships with number 6, or 60. The Chinese zodiac has 12 animal symbols, and so as western horoscopes! When you think about the reasoning behind it, time was pretty much the only common knowledge/understanding of people across the world know despite different languages were spoken.
After doing some research, the reason why Babylonian mathematics had a base 60 rather than 10 is that 60 has more divisors than any smaller positive integer which is so fascinating. Scientists even found out that they knew the formula that's today known as the Pythagorean theorem. Talking about the history behind 6, there was this "most commonly accepted theory holds that two earlier peoples merged and formed the Sumerians," USA Today reported. "Supposedly, one group based their number system on 5 and the other on 12. When the two groups traded together, they evolved a system based on 60 so both could understand it." Knowing the history behind all this really made me think about how math was created among people all around the world and it was serving such important purposes in people's lives.
Good post Zoe. It is amazing that what we consider Pythagorean theorem had roots in Old Babylon!
ReplyDeleteMake sure that you complete your posts for the first reading, "Why teach math history" and for the "Crest of the Peacock" chapter.
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