Mathematics is the abstract science which uses deductive reasoning to study numerical, structural and spatial relations. Through the use of abstraction and logic, mathematics developed from counting, calculation, measurement and the systematic study of the shapes and motions of physical objects. It is an age-old tradition, which underpins the very rudiments of society and life as we know it. It has shaped and benefited humanity immensely, and continues to help us understand the universe and bring about social and technological progress.