The symbols we use every day have fascinating and surprisingly recent origins, explains author Joseph Mazur in his new book A few years ago friends and I were talking about the origins of written ...

A new book traces the history of division signs, square roots, pi, exponents, graph axes and other mathematical symbols. (Bigstock) Consider the simple plus sign: +. Most people, Joseph Mazur writes ...

Before the 16th century, most math equations were written as metered verse. Thank god for graphic-design-inclined mathematicians. The study of mathematics has existed since ancient times.

SI Unit: Every measurement we make, be it for length, time, temperature, or electric current, needs a standard unit so that results are understood universally. To maintain uniformity worldwide, ...

Monkeys can use symbols to add — a finding that sheds light on the evolutionary origins of math, researchers say. Humans possess a sophisticated combination of mathematical capabilities unmatched in ...