Mathematics is the science that deals with number, quantity, and form. Without a knowledge of mathematics, our whole modern way of life would be impossible!

For example, we would have no good houses, because men who build houses must know how to measure and count and figure. Our clothing would be very crude, because figuring is necessary to cut cloth correctly. There would be no railroads, steamships, or airplanes, nor any great industries, nor any commerce as we know it.

And, of course, there would be no radio, television, movies, telephones, or thousands of other things that are part of our civilization. The use of mathematics to measure how many, how much, or how long, is a vital part of the creation of the world we live in.

Life was much more simple for our primitive ancestors, but even they had to use the idea of numbers. Earliest man wanted to keep a record of the things he possessed. How many tools did he have, how many weapons, how many animals? As soon as he wanted to express such ideas as one, two, many, and so on, he began to use mathematics.

In fact, counting was the beginning of mathematics. And the art of counting took a long, long time to develop. At first, it was done by scratching tally marks on a wall or painting them on papyrus, a form of paper. Early man could tell how many by looking at the tally marks, even if he didn’t have the words for it.

Gradually, the ancient Egyptians and then the Greeks and Romans developed better number systems.

But counting, of course, is only one part of mathematics. The idea of form and how to measure it is very important to man, too. Primitive man used the idea of form in his everyday life, even though he didn’t know how to measure form exactly. For instance, in making his primitive dwellings, he used rectangles and circles.

This was a simple, practical application of mathematics. But mathematics also is used in drawing logical conclusions from given facts, even if you’re not dealing with material objects. For example, in geometry, we put everything down on paper and figure out the answers to problems. Then we put our conclusions to use in everyday life.