* Ancient Sumerians (Mesopotamia): They developed a sophisticated number system based on 60 (sexagesimal), which influenced later Babylonian and even our modern systems (e.g., 60 seconds in a minute, 360 degrees in a circle). They also had practical mathematics for things like land measurement and trade.
* Ancient Egyptians: They had their own number system and used mathematics for tasks like building pyramids and calculating areas.
* Ancient Greeks: The Greeks are often credited with formalizing mathematics as a deductive system with proofs, largely attributed to figures like Thales, Pythagoras, and Euclid. Euclid's *Elements* is a landmark example of a systematic approach to geometry.
So, there's no single "creator." Instead, early mathematical systems evolved over time in different parts of the world, with the Greeks playing a pivotal role in formalizing and systematizing mathematical thinking. It's more accurate to speak of the evolution of mathematical systems rather than their creation by a single individual.