Maya Mathematics

The first stop I had was the Mayan number faces. Numbers were shown as people and gods, not just symbols. This made me realize that numbers were tied to culture and belief, not just counting.

The second stop was learning that some people automatically feel numbers as having personalities. I was surprised that this affects how they think. It reminded me that numbers can feel personal, not just logical.

History of Iranian/Persian Number Systems

I paused when the video mentioned the many inscriptions found in Persepolis marking visits from others. I found the inscriptions fascinating because they were created so long ago yet have managed to survive.

I stopped again when the video talked about Isfahan, especially the fact that it was known for its handcrafts since it was a centre of trade and home to Iranian kings. I also found the discussion of Ghalamzani, the hand-done intricate metalwork inspired by ancient Persepolis patterns, really impressive.

Euclid and Beauty?

Why is Euclid and Euclidean geometry still studied to this day? 

Euclid is still studied today because he didn’t just list facts. He showed how mathematics can be built logically from a few simple rules, like his definitions, postulates, and common notions.

Why do you think this book has been so important (and incredibly popular) over centuries?

I think this might be because in Elements, he organized earlier work by Eudoxus and Theaetetus, perfected the proofs, and created a clear, step-by-step system that could be understood by generations of students.

Is there beauty in the Euclidean postulates, common notions and principles for proofs? 

Yes there is, I find it fascinating that his simple postulates can lead to so many surprising results, like the properties of triangles, circles, and even the five regular polyhedra. 

How can we define beauty if these are considered beautiful?

Reflecting on this, I think the beauty in Euclid’s work comes from how a few basic ideas can explain so much and how the proofs feel logical and satisfying to follow.