Mathematics

Mathematics can be defined as the logically rigorous study of topics such as quantity, structure, space, and change. Another view, held by many mathematicians, is that mathematics is the body of knowledge justified by deductive reasoning, starting from axioms and definitions. more...

Mathematics is used throughout the world in fields such as science, engineering, medicine and economics. These fields both inspire and make use of new discoveries in mathematics. New mathematics is also created for its own sake, without any particular application in view, a common practice in the branch known as pure mathematics.

The word "mathematics" is often abbreviated math in the U.S. and Canada and maths in Britain and many Commonwealth countries.

Etymology

The word "mathematics" comes from the Greek μάθημα (máthēma), which means learning, study, science, and additionally came to have the narrower and more technical meaning "mathematical sciences" even in Classical times, and its adjective μαθηματικός (mathēmatikós), related to learning, or studious, which likewise further came to mean mathematical. In particular, μαθηματική τέχνη (mathēmatikē tékhnē), in Latin ars mathematica, meant the mathematical art.

The apparent plural form in English, like the French plural les mathématiques, goes back to the Latin neuter plural mathematica (Cicero), based on the Greek plural τα μαθηματικά (ta mathēmatiká), used by Aristotle, and meaning "all things mathematical". Despite the form and etymology, the word, like the names of arts and sciences in general, is used as a singular mass noun in English today.

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