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Which mathematical idea originated in Greece?

a. The discovery of the absolute value in algebra
b. The discovery of the zero digit in numbers
c. The discovery of how to multiply numbers
d. The discovery of how to divide numbers

User Deisy
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1 Answer

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Final answer:

The idea that originated in Greece was the invention of geometry. Other options such as the absolute value, the zero digit, and methods of multiplication and division are credited to Indian or Persian mathematics.

Step-by-step explanation:

Among the mathematical ideas that originated in Greece, the most notable is the invention of the mathematical discipline of geometry, as laid out in Euclid's Elements. Euclidean geometry introduced the concept of using axioms and deducing theorems from these axioms, which is still at the foundation of much of modern mathematics. Neither the discovery of the absolute value in algebra, the zero digit, nor the methods of multiplication and division are credited to Greek mathematics.

Notably, the concept and number of zero as well as decimal systems were developed by Indian mathematicians. Furthermore, algebra as it is known today was significantly developed by Persian mathematicians like al-Khwarizmi, whose work had a substantial impact on mathematical thought.

User Trowel
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