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This quiz consists of 5 multiple choice and 5 short answer questions through Chapter 3.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. What refers to the mean obtained by taking the reciprocal of the arithmetic mean of the reciprocals of a set of nonzero numbers?
(a) Harmonic mean.
(b) Frechet mean.
(c) Power mean.
(d) Mean of function.

2. The author states in Chapter 3, “Nothing Ventured” that India adopted a Babylonian style number system around what century?
(a) 6th Century.
(b) 1st Century.
(c) 5th Century.
(d) 2nd Century.

3. The preclassic Maya and their neighbors supposedly developed the concept of zero by what year?
(a) 10 BC.
(b) 36 BC.
(c) 23 BC.
(d) 50 BC.

4. Pythagoreanism developed into two separate schools of thought. What group was called “the listeners” in Greek?
(a) The mathēmatikoi.
(b) The Hippasusikoi.
(c) The akousmatikoi.
(d) The omnimatioi.

5. Approximately when did Muhammad ibn Ahmad al-Khwarizmi live?
(a) 159-201 AD.
(b) 780-850 AD.
(c) 240-200 BC.
(d) 410-500 AD.

Short Answer Questions

1. The author notes in Chapter 2, “Nothing Comes of Nothing” that the West resisted the concept of zero for how many years?

2. What branch of mathematics are the ancient Egyptians credited with creating in order to successfully build objects to block the flooding of the Nile River each year?

3. The author states in Chapter 3, “Nothing Ventured” that Indian mathematicians first learned of zero from the Babylonians by way of what?

4. Negative numbers first appeared where historically, according to the author in Chapter 3, “Nothing Ventured”?

5. What region in the Middle East is widely considered to be the cradle of civilization?

(see the answer key)

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