Zeroeth Blog Post- What is Math?

What is math? Math is the study of numbers and anything related to numbers.  So what is the importance of studying numbers, and why do we do it?  I think their are many answers to this question, but mostly, I think that math is a tool that helps us solve problems, improve our way of life, and ensure our survival.  If you think in terms of Darwin and Evolution, math is a tool that helped us survive, and that is why it still exists today.   Math has further been used with science and physics to help explain things about the universe and attempt answer deeper questions like, where did we come from, what is our origin?  These are my deep thoughts on the nature of math.

The Five Greatest Math Discoveries

1. Numbers – The discovery that you can actually quantify things is the genesis of mathematics, so I think that it should be counted as the most important discovery in math.
2. Zero – The epiphany that it is quantifiable to have nothing of something is pretty crazy if you think about it.  The debate on whether or not zero is a natural number is always a fun one to have. I believe zero deserves a place on the five greatest math discoveries.
3. Negative Numbers – The concept of having  less than zero of something is also a pretty wild concept.  I’m sure whoever discovered them was laughed at.  They don’t even exist in reality.  You can’t have negative three apples.  What are these mysterious things?
4. Rational Numbers –  The discovery that you can have a part of something and not the whole thing is certainly one of the greatest discoveries in math.
5. Irrational numbers – The fact there are numbers that can’t even be represented by only using ratio’s must have opened the doors to a whole new world to mathematicians.