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Politics : Foreign Affairs Discussion Group -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Ilaine who wrote (142173)	7/31/2004 5:41:59 AM
From: Ilaine	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 281500

Or maybe it was a Monty Python joke? "What have the Romans ever done for us?" Right out of "The Life of Brian."

To: Ilaine who wrote (142173)	8/1/2004 5:53:17 AM
From: Neocon	Respond to of 281500

I certainly have not objection if you have points to add.

To: Ilaine who wrote (142173)	8/1/2004 7:28:40 AM
From: Neocon	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 281500

Just as a matter of summarizing the general view: The history of algebra began in ancient Egypt and Babylon. In the 3rd century, the Greek mathematician, Diophantus of Alexandria, wrote the first treatise on algebra. This book represents the earliest recorded attempt to use symbols to represent unknown quantities. Several Indian mathematicians carried out important work in the field of algebra in the 6th and 7th centuries. The term algebra derives from the Arabic word al-jabr which literally means "the reunion of broken parts". The word al-jabr has also been interpreted to mean "completion" or "restoration". In the 9th century, the term algebra gained widespread use through a book written by an Arabic mathematician, Al-Khwarizmi. This book developed methods of solving quadratic equations. The Arabic or decimal system of writing numbers and the term algorithm derives from his name. Algebra as a science is deemed to be an Arabic contribution..... algebraplus.com

To: Ilaine who wrote (142173)	8/1/2004 7:33:12 AM
From: Neocon	Respond to of 281500

I would like to point out this paragraph in my earlier post: The key to progress has been economic development and the rise of social classes/occupations that permit freedom from drudgery and the leisure to cultivate knowledge and the arts. This requires a fairly large agricultural base, to create the requisite surpluses; the ability to repel most invaders, and to administer justice with efficiency, which means a fairly large military and constabulary; urbanization, to create the social and economic conditions that will permit diverse occupations and a thriving market in amenities; and external trade, to bring into contact areas which have unique things to offer one another. External trade is, of course, promoted by diplomacy, but also by the assurance that one will mostly move among secure states and their territories.