These architectural feats could not have been done without the support of mathematics. The Old Babylonians had a base-60 counting system. They liked reciprocal numbers; for example, they would divide a/b as a * 1/b. The Old Babylonians were the first to algebra for linear and quadratic problems.
Haya majengo ya kiuhandisi yasingeweza kujengwa kama pasingekuwa na msaada wa hesabu. Wababeli wa zamani walikuwa na mfumo wa kuhesabu hadi 60. Walipendelea namba zinazoshabihiana; kwa mfano, wangegawa a/b kama *l/b. Wababeli wa zamani walikuwa wa kwanza kutumia aljebra kwa hesabu za mistari na hesabu za mchanganyiko wa namba na herufi (quadradic problems).