Abstraction
You can think about groups. A cat and a ball are things. You can call them all "things." This helps us talk. It makes big ideas easy. It is like a game. Do you like to group things?
Early Reader · Change the reading level on the articleMathematics articles — Page 2
Explore the ideas and history behind numbers, shapes, patterns and mathematical thinking. Choose an article below; its reading controls let you move between the available levels.
1,419 public articles · Page 2 of 30
For printable practice and answer guides, visit Maths worksheets.
Acre
An acre is a way to measure land. It tells us how big a field is. Long ago, it was land one man could plow in a day. We use it to talk about farms. Do you know a big field?
Early Reader · Change the reading level on the articleAda Lovelace
Ada Lovelace loved math. She worked with a big machine. It could do math work. She saw it could do more. It could even make music! Ada was a math star. Do you like math too?
Early Reader · Change the reading level on the articleAddition
You can put things together. Put three apples and two apples in a pile. Now you have five apples! This helps you count more things. It is a fun way to learn. Can you count your toys?
Early Reader · Change the reading level on the articleAdrien-Marie Legendre
Adrien was a man who loved numbers. He lived in France a long time ago. He wrote books to help people learn math. His work helps us see the stars. Even a moon crater has his name! Do you like to count?
Early Reader · Change the reading level on the articleAlexander Grothendieck
Alexander was a great thinker. He loved to solve puzzles. He used math to find new ideas. His work helps us see shapes in new ways. He was very smart. Do you like to solve puzzles too?
Early Reader · Change the reading level on the articleAlfred Tarski
Alfred Tarski loved math. He worked with numbers and shapes. He was a very smart teacher. He helped many people learn. He lived in many places. Do you like to solve puzzles?
Early Reader · Change the reading level on the articleAlgebraic geometry
We can use math to find shapes. These shapes can be lines or circles. Some shapes are even big like a ball. Math helps us see how they work. It is like a puzzle for us. Can you find a circle?
Early Reader · Change the reading level on the articleAlgebraic number field
Math can find new numbers. We start with the numbers we know. Then we find more. These new numbers help us solve puzzles. They show us how things work. Can you find a new number today?
Early Reader · Change the reading level on the articleAlgebraic number theory
Math helps us study numbers. It looks for patterns. It can solve hard puzzles. We use it to count and measure. It helps us understand our world. Can you find numbers today?
Early Reader · Change the reading level on the articleAlgebraic topology
We can study shapes. We look for holes in them. Some shapes have holes. Some do not. This helps us know shapes. Do you see holes in things?
Early Reader · Change the reading level on the articleAlgebraic variety
Math can make shapes. You can use rules to draw lines. You can also draw curves. These shapes are very special. They help us see math in the world. Can you find a shape today?
Early Reader · Change the reading level on the articleAnalytic geometry
We can use numbers to show shapes. Numbers tell us where to draw a line. They can also help us draw a circle. This helps us build big things. It helps us fly in planes. Can you find shapes in your room?
Early Reader · Change the reading level on the articleAnalytic number theory
We use math to study numbers. We look for patterns in them. It helps us find special numbers. This is fun to learn. Can you find a pattern?
Early Reader · Change the reading level on the articleAndrey Kolmogorov
Andrey loved numbers. He looked for patterns in them. He found new ways to guess what might happen next. This helps us understand the world. He was a great teacher too. Do you like to count things?
Early Reader · Change the reading level on the articleApollonius of Perga
A man named Apollonius loved shapes. He looked at how shapes change. He studied how to cut a cone. This made new shapes. His names for them are still used. Do you like shapes?
Early Reader · Change the reading level on the articleApplied mathematics
Math helps us solve real problems. It works in many places. It helps doctors and builders. It can even help computers. Math is all around you. Can you find math today?
Early Reader · Change the reading level on the articleApproximation theory
Sometimes things are hard to draw. We can use easy shapes to help. These shapes look almost like the real thing. This helps computers do math fast. It is like making a good guess. Can you find shapes in your room?
Early Reader · Change the reading level on the articleArgument
You can use words to show why you think something. You give a few reasons first. Then you show your main idea. This helps people understand you. It can help you solve a problem. Do you like to share your ideas?
Early Reader · Change the reading level on the articleArthur Cayley
Arthur Cayley loved math. He solved many hard puzzles. He was a teacher at a big school. His work helps us today. Do you like math too?
Early Reader · Change the reading level on the articleAryabhata
A man named Aryabhata lived long ago. He loved to look at the stars. He studied shapes and numbers too. His ideas help us learn about space. He was very smart. Do you like to look at the sky?
Early Reader · Change the reading level on the articleAssociative property
You can group things in different ways. It does not change the total. If you add three and two and four, you get nine. It works the same if you group them first. Math helps us do this. Can you try it with your toys?
Early Reader · Change the reading level on the articleAugustin-Louis Cauchy
Augustin was a man who loved math. He was very good at it. He wrote many books about numbers. His work helps us understand the world. He was a very busy worker. Do you like to count things?
Early Reader · Change the reading level on the articleAxiom
Some things are just true. We do not need to prove them. We use these truths to learn more. They are like the start of a game. They help us find new ideas. Do you like to learn new things?
Early Reader · Change the reading level on the articleAxiom of choice
You can pick one thing from many groups. Imagine many jars of socks. You pick one sock from each jar. This helps us make a new group. It is a big idea in math. Can you pick one from each group?
Early Reader · Change the reading level on the articleBayesian inference
You can learn from what you see. You start with what you think. Then you look for new clues. The new clues change your mind. This helps you know more. It is like being a detective. Can you find new clues today?
Early Reader · Change the reading level on the articleBayes' theorem
We use clues to guess things. A clue can change what we think. It helps us learn more. We can use clues to find the truth. It helps us solve puzzles. Can you find clues today?
Early Reader · Change the reading level on the articleBernhard Riemann
Bernhard Riemann loved math. He looked at shapes and patterns. He found new ways to see space. His work helps us understand the world. He was a very great thinker. Can you find shapes in your room?
Early Reader · Change the reading level on the articleBinary number
Computers use a special way to count. They only use two signs. These signs are zero and one. This helps machines work fast. It is like a secret code. Can you count with only two signs?
Early Reader · Change the reading level on the articleBoolean algebra
Some math is about what is true. It uses yes or no. It can be true or false. This helps us build computers. It makes our tools work. Can you think of a yes or no question?
Early Reader · Change the reading level on the articleBrahmagupta
A man named Brahmagupta lived long ago. He loved numbers and stars. He was the first to use zero as a number. This helps us count nothing. He also studied how things pull toward each other. Can you find a zero today?
Early Reader · Change the reading level on the articleCalculus of variations
We can find the best way to move. Sometimes we want the shortest path. A straight line is the shortest way. We can also find the smallest shape. Soap bubbles make great shapes. Can you find a straight line? It is…
Early Reader · Change the reading level on the articleCarl Gustav Jacob Jacobi
Carl Jacobi loved math. He found patterns in numbers. He studied how things move. He also looked at shapes. His work helps us learn a lot. Can you find a pattern today?
Early Reader · Change the reading level on the articleCauchy's integral formula
Math can help us see patterns. We can look at a shape's edge. The edge tells us about the middle. This helps us know everything inside. It is like a secret code. Math is very cool. Can you find shapes today?
Early Reader · Change the reading level on the articleCentral limit theorem
Many things can be random. You can pick many small groups. You can find the middle for each group. These middles make a smooth shape. It looks like a hill. This helps us understand many things. Can you find patterns…
Early Reader · Change the reading level on the articleCharles Hermite
Charles was a man who loved numbers. He found new ways to solve puzzles. He worked hard to learn many things. His work helps us understand math today. He even has a spot on the moon named after him! Do you like math…
Early Reader · Change the reading level on the articleChi-squared test
We can check if things match. We look at what we see. We also look at what we expect. Do they look the same? This helps us learn. Can you find patterns too?
Early Reader · Change the reading level on the articleClass field theory
Math helps us find patterns. We can use it to find rules. These rules help us see how things fit. It is like a puzzle for us. We can learn many new things. Do you like to find patterns?
Early Reader · Change the reading level on the articleCoding theory
We use codes to send news. Codes help us send files. They help fix mistakes in a message. This helps your phone work well. It helps music play on a disc. Can you find a code today?
Early Reader · Change the reading level on the articleCombination
You can pick a few things from a group. It does not matter which one you pick first. You just keep the ones you want. This helps us see all the ways to choose. It is like picking fruit for a snack. Can you pick two…
Early Reader · Change the reading level on the articleCommutative algebra
Math helps us study shapes. It looks at how things fit. We can use it to find patterns. It helps us see how numbers work. Math is all around us. Can you find a shape today?
Early Reader · Change the reading level on the articleCommutative property
You can swap things around. Put two apples and three apples in a pile. It is the same as three and two. The order does not change the total. This helps us count. It is like magic! Can you try it with your toys?
Early Reader · Change the reading level on the articleCommutative ring
Math uses numbers to help us. We can add groups together. We can also multiply them. It does not matter which order we use. Two and three make five. Three and two also make five. This is a fun rule! Can you find it?
Early Reader · Change the reading level on the articleComputability theory
Some tasks are easy for machines. We can give them steps to follow. Other tasks are too hard. A machine cannot solve them. This helps us know what we can do. Can you think of a hard task?
Early Reader · Change the reading level on the articleComputable function
You can follow rules to find answers. A rule tells you what to do next. You do not have to guess. You just follow the steps. This helps you solve a puzzle. It works for many things. Can you follow a rule?
Early Reader · Change the reading level on the articleConic section
You can make new shapes with a cone. Just cut the cone with a flat line. You might see a round circle. You might see a long oval. Some shapes never end. It is like magic! Can you find these shapes?
Early Reader · Change the reading level on the articleControl theory
We use tools to stay on track. These tools help machines work well. They can keep a plane flying straight. They help robots move too. It helps things stay steady. Do you like seeing machines work?
Early Reader · Change the reading level on the articleCoordinate system
Numbers can show us where things are. We use them to find a spot. You can use numbers on a line. You can use them for a map. This helps us find our way. It is like a game of hide and seek. Can you find a spot with…
Early Reader · Change the reading level on the article