Mathematics is the study of quantity, structure, space, and change. Historically, mathematics developed from counting, calculation, measurement, and the study of the shapes and motions of physical objects, through the use of abstraction and deductive reasoning. Mathematics is also used to refer to the insight gained by people by doing mathematics, also known as the body of mathematical knowledge. This latter meaning of mathematics includes the mathematics used to do calculations or models and is an indispensable tool in the natural sciences, engineering and economics. The word "mathematics" comes from the Greek μάθημα (máthema) meaning "science, knowledge, or learning" and μαθηματικός (mathematikós) meaning "fond of learning". It is often abbreviated maths in Commonwealth English and math in American English.
(From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.)