Some argue that mathematics is a human invention, a system of symbols and rules created by people to represent and organize abstract concepts. Others argue that mathematics is a universal and exists independently of human consciousness and that we merely discover and uncover its truths.

Classical period (400–1600) This period is often known as the golden age of Indian Mathematics. This period saw mathematicians such as Aryabhata, Varahamihira, Brahmagupta, Bhaskara I, Mahavira, Bhaskara II, Madhava of Sangamagrama and Nilakantha Somayaji give broader and clearer shape to many branches of mathematics.

Around 3000 BCE, the Sumerians developed a numerical system based on the sexagesimal system (base 60), which is still in use for measuring time (seconds, minutes, and degrees in a circle) today. They also made strides in geometry, algebra, and arithmetic.

Maryam Mirzakhani (born May 3, 1977, Tehrān, Iran—died July 14, 2017, Palo Alto, California, U.S.) was an Iranian mathematician who became (2014) the first woman and the first Iranian to be awarded a Fields Medal.