The document discusses the origins and nature of mathematics. It defines mathematics as the science of quantity, measurement and special relations. The history of mathematics is described as investigating original discoveries and methods from the past. Early contributions came from places like China in the form of their place value system. The nature of mathematics includes it being a science of discovery, an intellectual puzzle, a tool, intuitive, with its own language/symbols, abstract, logical, and dealing with drawing conclusions. The needs, significance and values of teaching mathematics are provided. Key areas of mathematics topics and contributions of great mathematicians like Euclid, Pythagoras, Aryabhatta, Bhaskaracharya, and Ramanujan are summarized