From: Mary Lou (for Teacher2Teacher Service)
Date: May 12, 1998 at 09:16:44
Subject: Re: Root and meaning of mathematics

Mathematics comes from a Greek source.  In Greek: mathema-  means "science"  and 
the ending -ike  means "knowledge".  In its purest form mathematics means 
"knowledge of science."

However, today mathematics is considered as a "systematic study of magnitude, of 
relations between figures and forms, and of relations between quantities expressed 
symbolically."

For a real in-depth study of "what is mathematics?" there is a book by that title:  
"What is Mathematics?" written by Richard Courant and Herbert Robbins, copyright 
1941, first edition, Oxford University Press. Look in a library for this book.

I hope that this answers your question.

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