Prehistoric Mathematics
The origins of mathematical thought lie in the concepts of number, magnitude, and form. Modern studies of animal cognition have shown that these concepts are not unique to hmans. Such concepts would have been part of everyday life in hunter-gatherer societies (狩猎社会). The idea of the “number
” concept evolving gradually over time is supported by the existence of languages which preserve the distinction between “one
”, “two
”, and “many
”, but not of numbers larger than two.
著名物理学家伽莫夫(宇宙大爆炸理论以及核聚变理论的提出者)在他的科普书《
从1到无穷大
》中举了这样一个例子。两个原始部落的酋长比赛,看谁说的数字大。第一个