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Timeline of Discoveries
Around 3000 BCE: Early practical use of rational numbers (fractions) for trade and measurements by ancient civilizations.
- By: Ancient Babylonians and Egyptians
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5th Century BCE: Discovery of irrational numbers, specifically the incommensurability of the diagonal of a square (e.g., square root of 2).
- By: Hippasus of Metapontum
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Around 300 BCE: Formalization of the study of ratios and proportions by ancient Greek mathematicians, distinguishing rational from irrational numbers.
- By: Euclid
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1872: Introduction of Dedekind cuts, providing a rigorous construction and definition of real numbers from rational numbers, formally distinguishing rational and irrational numbers.
- By: Richard Dedekind
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2010: Release of the Common Core State Standards in Mathematics and English Language Arts to standardize K-12 educational expectations across U.S. states.
- By: National Governors Association (NGA) and Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO)
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See also: 03_Study_Guide