 Maths is all around us. It's almost impossible to think of something that's made without the help of mathematics. Buildings, transport, technology, medicine, even clothes and food all rely on numbers, measurements and sums. Early pioneers discovered and explored the world using great ingenuity and varied mathematical skills navigating by the sun and stars to find their way. By measuring their position and relation to key points on Earth they could navigate and travel thousands of kilometres. The surface of the Earth can be divided like a chessboard with the lines of latitude and longitude. Using maths and a tool called a sextant navigators could find their latitude and longitude by measuring the angle between two objects relative to the horizon. It was very complicated, involving calculations, celestial maps and charts. The principle was that an object would be positioned above a certain point of latitude and longitude at a particular time of day. This made positioning possible. Now, every point on each line has its own number, known as a coordinate. So it's possible to find anywhere on the globe with just two numbers, where the lines cross. Modern computers using similar maths can find any location using the Global Positioning System or GPS. This network of 24 satellites 18,000 kilometres above the Earth is capable of locating any position to within three and a half metres and tracking journeys to any destination. GPS was originally developed for the US military but is today available in numerous vehicles and electronic devices. So how does GPS calculate your position with the same mathematical measurements that our ancestors used? Let's say you want to find your current position using GPS. At all times, you are in the line of sight of at least four satellites. A minimum of three locate your position using latitude and longitude. By measuring the distance and angle between three satellites and your smartphone, they can pinpoint you exactly. The fourth calculates your altitude. This network of orbiting satellites constantly transmits signals at the speed of light so all this happens in the blink of an eye. Complex maths then visualises your position in a 3D landscape even if you are at the top of a mountain. GPS technology can now be found everywhere. The same technology also makes it possible to remotely pilot small vehicles and has turned the driverless car into a reality. Maths made it possible for our ancestors to discover the world. And today, maths makes it easier than ever for us to travel the globe using whatever form of transport we wish.