Editing Informal mathematics (section)

==History==
There has long been a standard account of the development of [[Egyptian geometry|geometry in ancient Egypt]], followed by [[Greek mathematics]] and the emergence of deductive logic. The modern sense of the term ''mathematics'', as meaning only those systems justified with reference to axioms, is however an [[anachronism]] if read back into history. Several ancient societies built impressive mathematical systems and carried out complex calculations based on proofless [[heuristic]]s and practical approaches. Mathematical facts were accepted on a [[wikt:pragmatic|pragmatic]] basis. [[Empirical method]]s, as in science, provided the justification for a given technique. Commerce, [[engineering]], [[calendar]] creation and the prediction of [[eclipse]]s and [[stellar progression]] were practiced by ancient cultures on at least three continents.