Before my introduction into university classes I wouldn't have known that mathematics came from all kinds of different cultures, and how some discoveries happened multiple times or simultaneously if different places. Thankfully I was already given this perspective by this point in my learning journey. However, I had no understanding of how much mathematicians moved around in their pursuit of knowledge. Not only would travel have been dangerous and slow during the time periods, but they would have had to learn completely new languages upon arriving at their new epicenter of discovery. My brain always just envisioned the flow of information, never considering the people who had to carry, translate, teach, and learn it. I'm quite surprised at the risks people took to continue and expand their knowledge of mathematics.
Another great thing I didn't particularly think about was the fall of nations and their mathematical institutions. This fact probably drove my first surprise in how mathematicians moved around so much. On top of that, all the effort and work of mathematicians and historians to keep the collections of information of these civilizations and institutions that fell. The history of mathematics tells a great tale of the efforts of individuals and institutions to preserve, learn, advance mathematics through the ages. I can only wonder the amount of knowledge that was lost through time.
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