University of San Agustin

College of Education
Midterm Examination in History of Mathematics

I. Identification. Identify what is described.

1. A mathematician in Samos credited for making a general rule of the relationship of the side lengths of a right
triangle.
2. Inscription in the entrance of Plato’s Academy
3. The method of reasoning introduced by the Greeks
4. Ancient Chinese text on mathematics; claimed to have been developed by Liu Hui
5. The first tringular number
6. Indian mathematician who is credited for adding infinitely many fractions to obtain one.
7. Indian mathematician who solved pi as 3.1416; He also tried calculate the circumference of the earth.
8. An integer that is popularized to have been recognized by the Indian mathematicians.
9. He is the greatest astronomer and mathematician in 12th-century India; He served as head of the observatory
at Ujjain; He wrote “Līlāvatī” (work named after his daughter).
10. Babylonian tablet known to have tables for Pythagorean triples.
II. Multiple-Choice. Write the letter of the best answer.
1. Which of the following is a triangular number?
A. 2 B. 10 C. 16 D. 22
2. He is known for his inventions that helped for the defence of Syracuse.
A. Archimedes B. Euclid C. Pythagoras D. Thales
3. Which of the following is true about the square root of 2?
A. It is infinite.
B. It is irrational.
𝑎
C. It could be expressed in the form of , where 𝑎, 𝑏 ∈ ℤ.
𝑏
D. A segment with length of √2 could not be constructed.
4. Considered as a threat to the Romans, she was mobbed to death by religious zealots because of her
mathematical lectures.
A. Cleopatra B. Hypatia C. Mary Magdalene D. Thales
5. In 1600’s, the use of mathematics in China is primarily focused on
A. generalizing algorithm B. solving arithmetic problems
C. making of the calendar D. writing of proofs
6. The use of axioms and proofs in mathematics began with the
A. Babylonians B. Egyptians C. Greeks D. Sumerians
7. Who pioneered the study of triangular and square numbers together with his disciples?
A. Eratosthenes B. Plato C. Pythagoras D. Thales
8. Apollonius is known for
A. naming the conic sections
B. approximating the earth’s circumference
C. approximating pi
D. proving the Pythagorean theorem
9. Which of the following numeration system is predominantly multiplicative?
A. Chinese B. Babylonian C. Egyptian D. Greek
10. Which civilization is known to use clay tablets for recording and writing?
A. Indian B. Babylonian C. Egyptian D. Greek
11. Which of the following was most efficient as a writing material on clay tablets?
A. pen B. stylus C. stamps D. ink
12. The marks on clay tablets are famously known as
A. hieroglyphics B. glyphs C. cuneiform D. lithographs
13. Pictographs to represent numbers are preferred by
A. Indian B. Babylonian C. Egyptian D. Greek
14. Which civilization is attributed to the development of tables of reciprocals, tables of squares and square roots,
tables of cubes and cube roots, and tables of compound interest?
A. Babylonians B. Egyptians C. Greeks D. Sumerians
15. Who pioneered the study of triangular and square numbers together with his disciples?
A. Eratosthenes B. Plato C. Pythagoras D. Thales
16. Mathematicians from this country first recognize zero as a placeholder and integer
A. China B. Egypt C. Greece D. India
17. Which of the following is a Pythagorean triple?
 A. 1, 2, 3 B. 3, 4, 5 C. 3, 5, 7 D. 12, 13, 14
18. Among the ancient Babylonians, the ratio of the circle’s circumference to its diameter is
A. 3.1416 B. irrational C. 3 D. √2

In each of the following items, accompany your calculations with detailed explanations. (14 pts. each)
III. By using the Egyptians’ method of multiplying by doubling, multiply 19 by 71.
IV. Solve Problem 32 of the Rhind Papyrus:
A quantity, its 1/3, its ¼, added together becomes 2. What is the quantity?
v. Solve the quadratic equation, 𝑦 2 = 150𝑦 + 1800 ∙ 375 by using the Babylonian method.