Numbers & math

19th-century illustration of a Hindu astronomer Brahmagupta

Brahmagupta writes the Brāhmasphuṭasiddhānta, a seminal work of mathematical astronomy

The Brāhmasphuṭasiddhānta is a text of mathematical astronomy contains significant mathematical content, including a good understanding of the role of zero, rules for manipulating both negative and positive numbers, a method for computing square roots, methods of solving linear and quadratic equations, and rules for summing series.

Tally marks

Human invent tally marks, their first numeral systems

Around 43,000 years ago, early humans carved the first tally marks into bone, inventing the earliest known numeral systems. This brilliant shift toward abstract mathematics allowed our ancestors to track lunar cycles and inventory resources. It laid the vital groundwork for modern mathematics, commerce, and advanced human societal planning.