Math is a complex subject. Can you recall your school days? Well, no matter how fun every other lecture would have been, there must be a strange tingling, fearful feeling in your gut in the mathematics lecture. That is because math is inherently a tough subject. Secondly, it is one of those subjects that is so important in almost all spheres of life. Yes, many argue that most of the theorems we study do not have any use in everyday life, but all one can never imagine a world without numbers. Thirdly, no matter how sweet our math teacher had been in school, we all had a strange fear of the teacher.

How did math originate?

In the year 287 BC, the famous Greek mathematician, Archimedes, was born in Syracuse, Sicily. The man brought forward new methods for getting a solution to equations, leaving the whole world amazed. He is thus referred to as the father of mathematics.

Prior to the modern age and the spread of knowledge, there were not many written examples of mathematical developments.

Talking about the very first mathematical texts, come from Egypt and Mesopotamia. The Rhind Mathematical Papyrus, Moscow Mathematical Papyrus, and the Pimpton 322 are to name a few.

In the form of a demonstrative discipline, the subject began emerging in the 6th century BC, all thanks to the Pythagoreans. The Pythagoreans were the people who coined the term "mathematics". We all know that the same term is used to refer to what we presently call the subject. However, not many know that the term "mathematics" is derived from the ancient Greek term "mathema" which literally means "the subject of instruction". 

Now that you know a bit about the history of mathematics, you are ready for the math riddles.

MATH RIDDLE 1:

Joey has six sons. Each son proudly says, “I have a very intelligent sister.” How many children does Joey have?

MATH RIDDLE 2:

If seven people meet each other and each shakes hands only once with each of the others, how many handshakes will there have been?

ANSWERS:

Joey has six sons. Each son proudly says, “I have a very intelligent sister.” How many children does Joey have?

Answer 1:

Joey has seven children in all. All boys are talking about the same sister.

Math riddle 2:

If seven people meet each other and each shakes hands only once with each of the others, how many handshakes will there have been?

Answer to Riddle 2: Twenty-one