Mayan mathematics and astronomy

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The Maya is well known that had a vigesimal numbering system based on the account of the fingers and toes (that is, base 20) and positional, using zero. It should be noted that our current is decimal number system (i.e., base 10) and positional. Sumerian tablets are also showing an outline of a positional system, but nothing more. Zero is an abstraction that only two cultures found in humanity: the Mayan culture and the Hindu. The Hindus used only zero in astronomy. The current evidence suggests that this discovery was made ​​separately. The Maya Indians were ahead by a little more than six hundred years.

Chichen Itza is located in the Yucatan Peninsula (Mexico). Mayan pyramid is 26 m high temple over 6 m. The 55.5-meter square base side. Has 4 stairs of 91 steps, then 364, plus 1 temple, ie 365 days. PlanetaPi’s friends are very surprised with this archaeological wonder.

European cultures obtained zero only after the Baghdad Arab mathematicians in the seventh century d. C. translated text of Hindu astronomy, rediscovering the Zero, and later translated into Latin. Westerners were vital idea, but it was not until centuries after their use became common in Europe.

The Mayan astronomical calendar was extremely accurate. They had a calendar year of 365 days compared to the actual 365.2422. The correction formula calendárica ancient Mayan astronomers priests, apparently between the sixth and seventh centuries d. C. is more accurate than our own Gregorian leap year corección, introduced in 1582.

The Mayans used only three symbols to represent numbers: the dot (·), the line (____), and zero (a snail). With them perform operations of addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, square root and cube. It is a system equivalent to ours. Furthermore, using fractions and had the concept of infinity with terms so interesting to him as:

June tso’dz’cej, count the hairs of a deer
Maxocbin, infinite in number.
Junjablat, uncountable; Picdzaac (ab), too many to count; Ox’lajun D’zakab, eternal
Junac, countless times.

Examples of some Mayan numbers:

The construction of artificial lakes full of water collected in the areas of the squares and temples and transported through channels to the watered down by gravity also required an ability to perform complex mathematical calculations.

Mayan Calendar

They developed networks with astronomical and calendrical cycles within a larger cosmic order. Over a century of research has allowed us to have a more or less broad understanding of the nature of Maya thought about this “great astronomical order”

Only Jupiter synodic periods (399 days) and Saturn (378 days) was not exactly factored in any of your calendars recognized, although we now know that until recently enigmatic 819-day period, evolved into the Terminal Classic is the end product of a thorough methodology to solve this problem.

Dresde Codex

Lamat glyph, Venus

Venus: (Lamat Glyph of Venus), Chak Ek ‘was the astronomical object most interesting, The Maya knew him better than any other civilization in the world. For the Maya, Venus is the companion of the Sun This no doubt reflects the fact that Venus is always close to the sun in the sky, rising just before dawn as the Morning Star (Aj-Chicum-Ek ‘) or evening as the evening star (Lamat). Even thought it was more important than the Sun, so watching him closely during the seasons. It takes Venus 584 days aligned with the Earth and the Sun and about 2922 days for the Earth to the Sun and the stars match. The Maya made ​​observations of Venus even in daylight. Venus had a psychological effect between the Mayas, as demonstrated in the hieroglyphic escalina Dos Pilas, in which the decision to launch into a battle depended on the position of Venus and Jupiter (The famous Star Wars between Tikal and Dos Pilas, Naranjo and their allies).

Maya Zodiac constellations: pages 23 and 24 of the Paris Codex, fantastic beasts suspended illustrate a “Band of Heaven”, which represents the ecliptic. most scholars believe is a Maya zodiac.

The impressive scientific discoveries made by astronomers Mayans, for example those included in the Dresden Codex, included their knowledge of the occurrence of different constellations in the sky and the precise calculation of the orbit of Venus around the Sun.

Acknowledgements:
Luis Fernando Magaña (Instituto de Física UNAM)

Bibliography:
“Juegos Matemáticos”. Derrick Niederman. Ed. Victor. Aprende y practica

Webs:
Parque Tikal, http://www.parque-tikal.com/mathema.htm clic
Authentic Maya, http://www.mayasautenticos.com/maya_astronomia.htm clic