Simply put, mathematics is the study of numbers, but it's so much more than that. Mathematics deals with quantity, shape, and arrangement. Ancient civilizations contributed to the science of math as we know it today, yet scientists are making new discoveries using mathematics in the present. Mathematics can be as simple as addition and subtraction, or it can be as complex as calculus and other higher level studies. Mathematicians study and solve both theoretical problems and issues with real-world applications.