maths

Mathematics, or maths in British usage, is the discipline that studies quantities, structures, space, and change using symbols, rules, and logical reasoning. It seeks to discover universal truths through proof and to model real-world phenomena with abstract theories.

Core areas include arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, probability, number theory, topology, and mathematical logic. Applied mathematics uses mathematical methods to solve practical problems in science, engineering, economics, and industry. Mathematicians rely on abstraction, proof, and formal systems, and often employ computation and numerical methods for complex problems.

Mathematics has ancient origins in Mesopotamia, Egypt, and Greece, with later contributions from India, China, and the Islamic world. The development of axiomatic approaches and formal logic in the 19th and 20th centuries established foundations for modern mathematics, including set theory and formal proof.

Mathematics underpins science and technology; it informs theories, models, simulations, and data analysis. It is taught from early schooling through advanced study and continues to evolve with new branches such as computational mathematics and modern algebraic geometry.