A History of Greek Mathematics
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Positional Notation Or Trigonometry [2, 13]
The Greatest Mathematical Discovery? David H. Bailey∗ Jonathan M. Borweiny April 24, 2011 1 Introduction Question: What mathematical discovery more than 1500 years ago: • Is one of the greatest, if not the greatest, single discovery in the field of mathematics? • Involved three subtle ideas that eluded the greatest minds of antiquity, even geniuses such as Archimedes? • Was fiercely resisted in Europe for hundreds of years after its discovery? • Even today, in historical treatments of mathematics, is often dismissed with scant mention, or else is ascribed to the wrong source? Answer: Our modern system of positional decimal notation with zero, to- gether with the basic arithmetic computational schemes, which were discov- ered in India prior to 500 CE. ∗Bailey: Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA. Email: [email protected]. This work was supported by the Director, Office of Computational and Technology Research, Division of Mathematical, Information, and Computational Sciences of the U.S. Department of Energy, under contract number DE-AC02-05CH11231. yCentre for Computer Assisted Research Mathematics and its Applications (CARMA), University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW 2308, Australia. Email: [email protected]. 1 2 Why? As the 19th century mathematician Pierre-Simon Laplace explained: It is India that gave us the ingenious method of expressing all numbers by means of ten symbols, each symbol receiving a value of position as well as an absolute value; a profound and important idea which appears so simple to us now that we ignore its true merit. But its very sim- plicity and the great ease which it has lent to all computations put our arithmetic in the first rank of useful inventions; and we shall appre- ciate the grandeur of this achievement the more when we remember that it escaped the genius of Archimedes and Apollonius, two of the greatest men produced by antiquity. -
The History of Egypt Under the Ptolemies
UC-NRLF $C lb EbE THE HISTORY OF EGYPT THE PTOLEMIES. BY SAMUEL SHARPE. LONDON: EDWARD MOXON, DOVER STREET. 1838. 65 Printed by Arthur Taylor, Coleman Street. TO THE READER. The Author has given neither the arguments nor the whole of the authorities on which the sketch of the earlier history in the Introduction rests, as it would have had too much of the dryness of an antiquarian enquiry, and as he has already published them in his Early History of Egypt. In the rest of the book he has in every case pointed out in the margin the sources from which he has drawn his information. » Canonbury, 12th November, 1838. Works published by the same Author. The EARLY HISTORY of EGYPT, from the Old Testament, Herodotus, Manetho, and the Hieroglyphieal Inscriptions. EGYPTIAN INSCRIPTIONS, from the British Museum and other sources. Sixty Plates in folio. Rudiments of a VOCABULARY of EGYPTIAN HIEROGLYPHICS. M451 42 ERRATA. Page 103, line 23, for Syria read Macedonia. Page 104, line 4, for Syrians read Macedonians. CONTENTS. Introduction. Abraham : shepherd kings : Joseph : kings of Thebes : era ofMenophres, exodus of the Jews, Rameses the Great, buildings, conquests, popu- lation, mines: Shishank, B.C. 970: Solomon: kings of Tanis : Bocchoris of Sais : kings of Ethiopia, B. c. 730 .- kings ofSais : Africa is sailed round, Greek mercenaries and settlers, Solon and Pythagoras : Persian conquest, B.C. 525 .- Inarus rebels : Herodotus and Hellanicus : Amyrtaus, Nectanebo : Eudoxus, Chrysippus, and Plato : Alexander the Great : oasis of Ammon, native judges, -
Archimedes' Principle
General Physics Lab Handbook by D.D.Venable, A.P.Batra, T.Hubsch, D.Walton & M.Kamal Archimedes’ Principle 1. Theory We are aware that some objects oat on some uids, submerged to diering extents: ice cubes oat in water almost completely submerged, while corks oat almost completely on the surface. Even the objects that sink appear to weigh less when they are submerged in the uid than when they are not. These eects are due to the existence of an upward ‘buoyant force’ that will act on the submerged object. This force is caused by the pressure in the uid being increased with depth below the surface, so that the pressure near the bottom of the object is greater than the pressure near the top. The dierence of these pressures results in the eective ‘buoyant force’, which is described by the Archimedes’ principle. According to this principle, the buoyant force FB on an object completely or partially submerged in a uid is equal to the weight of the uid that the (submerged part of the) object displaces: FB = mf g = f Vg . (1) where f is the density of the uid, mf and V are respectively mass and the volume of the displaced uid (which is equal to the volume of the submerged part of the object) and g is the gravitational acceleration constant. 2. Experiment Object: Use Archimedes’ principle to measure the densities of a given solid and a provided liquid. Apparatus: Solid (metal) and liquid (oil) samples, beaker, thread, balance, weights, stand, micrometer, calipers, PASCO Science Workshop Interface, Force Sensors and a Macintosh Computer. -
Water, Air and Fire at Work in Hero's Machines
Water, air and fire at work in Hero’s machines Amelia Carolina Sparavigna Dipartimento di Fisica, Politecnico di Torino Corso Duca degli Abruzzi 24, Torino, Italy Known as the Michanikos, Hero of Alexandria is considered the inventor of the world's first steam engine and of many other sophisticated devices. Here we discuss three of them as described in his book “Pneumatica”. These machines, working with water, air and fire, are clear examples of the deep knowledge of fluid dynamics reached by the Hellenistic scientists. Hero of Alexandria, known as the Mechanicos, lived during the first century in the Roman Egypt [1]. He was probably a Greek mathematician and engineer who resided in the city of Alexandria. We know his work from some of writings and designs that have been arrived nowadays in their Greek original or in Arabic translations. From his own writings, it is possible to gather that he knew the works of Archimedes and of Philo the Byzantian, who was a contemporary of Ctesibius [2]. It is almost certain that Heron taught at the Museum, a college for combined philosophy and literary studies and a religious place of cult of Muses, that included the famous Library. For this reason, Hero claimed himself a pupil of Ctesibius, who was probably the first head of the Museum of Alexandria. Most of Hero’s writings appear as lecture notes for courses in mathematics, mechanics, physics and pneumatics [2]. In optics, Hero formulated the Principle of the Shortest Path of Light, principle telling that if a ray of light propagates from a point to another one within the same medium, the followed path is the shortest possible. -
Unaccountable Numbers
Unaccountable Numbers Fabio Acerbi In memoriam Alessandro Lami, a tempi migliori HE AIM of this article is to discuss and amend one of the most intriguing loci corrupti of the Greek mathematical T corpus: the definition of the “unknown” in Diophantus’ Arithmetica. To do so, I first expound in detail the peculiar ter- minology that Diophantus employs in his treatise, as well as the notation associated with it (section 1). Sections 2 and 3 present the textual problem and discuss past attempts to deal with it; special attention will be paid to a paraphrase contained in a let- ter of Michael Psellus. The emendation I propose (section 4) is shown to be supported by a crucial, and hitherto unnoticed, piece of manuscript evidence and by the meaning and usage in non-mathematical writings of an adjective that in Greek math- ematical treatises other than the Arithmetica is a sharply-defined technical term: ἄλογος. Section 5 offers some complements on the Diophantine sign for the “unknown.” 1. Denominations, signs, and abbreviations of mathematical objects in the Arithmetica Diophantus’ Arithmetica is a collection of arithmetical prob- lems:1 to find numbers which satisfy the specific constraints that 1 “Arithmetic” is the ancient denomination of our “number theory.” The discipline explaining how to calculate with particular, possibly non-integer, numbers was called in Late Antiquity “logistic”; the first explicit statement of this separation is found in the sixth-century Neoplatonic philosopher and mathematical commentator Eutocius (In sph. cyl. 2.4, in Archimedis opera III 120.28–30 Heiberg): according to him, dividing the unit does not pertain to arithmetic but to logistic. -
Mathematical Discourse in Philosophical Authors: Examples from Theon of Smyrna and Cleomedes on Mathematical Astronomy
Mathematical discourse in philosophical authors: Examples from Theon of Smyrna and Cleomedes on mathematical astronomy Nathan Sidoli Introduction Ancient philosophers and other intellectuals often mention the work of mathematicians, al- though the latter rarely return the favor.1 The most obvious reason for this stems from the im- personal nature of mathematical discourse, which tends to eschew any discussion of personal, or lived, experience. There seems to be more at stake than this, however, because when math- ematicians do mention names they almost always belong to the small group of people who are known to us as mathematicians, or who are known to us through their mathematical works.2 In order to be accepted as a member of the group of mathematicians, one must not only have mastered various technical concepts and methods, but must also have learned how to express oneself in a stylized form of Greek prose that has often struck the uninitiated as peculiar.3 Be- cause of the specialized nature of this type of intellectual activity, in order to gain real mastery it was probably necessary to have studied it from youth, or to have had the time to apply oneself uninterruptedly.4 Hence, the private nature of ancient education meant that there were many educated individuals who had not mastered, or perhaps even been much exposed to, aspects of ancient mathematical thought and practice that we would regard as rather elementary (Cribiore 2001; Sidoli 2015). Starting from at least the late Hellenistic period, and especially during the Imperial and Late- Ancient periods, some authors sought to address this situation in a variety of different ways— such as discussing technical topics in more elementary modes, rewriting mathematical argu- ments so as to be intelligible to a broader audience, or incorporating mathematical material di- rectly into philosophical curricula. -
15 Famous Greek Mathematicians and Their Contributions 1. Euclid
15 Famous Greek Mathematicians and Their Contributions 1. Euclid He was also known as Euclid of Alexandria and referred as the father of geometry deduced the Euclidean geometry. The name has it all, which in Greek means “renowned, glorious”. He worked his entire life in the field of mathematics and made revolutionary contributions to geometry. 2. Pythagoras The famous ‘Pythagoras theorem’, yes the same one we have struggled through in our childhood during our challenging math classes. This genius achieved in his contributions in mathematics and become the father of the theorem of Pythagoras. Born is Samos, Greece and fled off to Egypt and maybe India. This great mathematician is most prominently known for, what else but, for his Pythagoras theorem. 3. Archimedes Archimedes is yet another great talent from the land of the Greek. He thrived for gaining knowledge in mathematical education and made various contributions. He is best known for antiquity and the invention of compound pulleys and screw pump. 4. Thales of Miletus He was the first individual to whom a mathematical discovery was attributed. He’s best known for his work in calculating the heights of pyramids and the distance of the ships from the shore using geometry. 5. Aristotle Aristotle had a diverse knowledge over various areas including mathematics, geology, physics, metaphysics, biology, medicine and psychology. He was a pupil of Plato therefore it’s not a surprise that he had a vast knowledge and made contributions towards Platonism. Tutored Alexander the Great and established a library which aided in the production of hundreds of books. -
Implementing Eratosthenes' Discovery in the Classroom: Educational
Implementing Eratosthenes’ Discovery in the Classroom: Educational Difficulties Needing Attention Nicolas Decamp, C. de Hosson To cite this version: Nicolas Decamp, C. de Hosson. Implementing Eratosthenes’ Discovery in the Classroom: Educational Difficulties Needing Attention. Science and Education, Springer Verlag, 2012, 21 (6), pp.911-920. 10.1007/s11191-010-9286-3. hal-01663445 HAL Id: hal-01663445 https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01663445 Submitted on 18 Dec 2017 HAL is a multi-disciplinary open access L’archive ouverte pluridisciplinaire HAL, est archive for the deposit and dissemination of sci- destinée au dépôt et à la diffusion de documents entific research documents, whether they are pub- scientifiques de niveau recherche, publiés ou non, lished or not. The documents may come from émanant des établissements d’enseignement et de teaching and research institutions in France or recherche français ou étrangers, des laboratoires abroad, or from public or private research centers. publics ou privés. Sci & Educ DOI 10.1007/s11191-010-9286-3 Implementing Eratosthenes’ Discovery in the Classroom: Educational Difficulties Needing Attention Nicolas De´camp • Ce´cile de Hosson Ó Springer Science+Business Media B.V. 2010 Abstract This paper presents a critical analysis of the accepted educational use of the method performed by Eratosthenes to measure the circumference of Earth which is often considered as a relevant means of dealing with issues related to the nature of science and its history. This method relies on a number of assumptions among which the parallelism of sun rays. The assumption of sun rays parallelism (if it is accurate) does not appear spontaneous for students who consider sun rays to be divergent. -
Two Books on Ancient Perspective Illustration Jim Barnes, Architect -- 2Nd August 2011
REVIEW: Two books on ancient Perspective illustration Jim Barnes, Architect -- 2nd August 2011 Alan M.G. Little; Roman Perspective Painting and the Ancient Stage , 1971, ~71 pages. John White; The Birth and Rebirth of Pictorial Space , 1957, Chapter XVI, 36 pages. These are two good books by two very fine researchers; and I recommend them for the study of ancient Greek and Roman perspective illustration. Alan M.G. Little’s career goes back to the 1930s when he received grant funding to research ancient Greek and Roman theater while serving on Harvard’s faculty. His lifetime study in this specialty led to this 1971 publication on Roman painting. Little starts by explaining that prior archaeological expertise sorted the ancient Roman frescos of Pompeii into four epochs, called “Styles”. His book goes on to provide compelling reason to believe that certain Roman frescos, especially during the Second Style epoch, are reproductions of ancient theatrical stage sets. Citing Plutarch’s biography of Alcibiades (c. 450-404 B.C.), Little recites the historical account of theater scenery first being transplanted onto the walls of ancient Athenian homes. We have no surviving Greek wall paintings today, but we know that Roman murals were copied repetitively, the same picture often copied in several places, even among the tiny number of Roman specimens surviving to our modern age. Greek stage set design similarly followed a conservative tradition; a single format was used repeatedly; while only details were varied. Quoting ancient sources, such as Plato’s Republic (c. 380 B.C.), Alan Little shows how the archetypical elements of Greek stage sets appear in Roman murals. -
On the Standard Lengths of Angle Bisectors and the Angle Bisector Theorem
Global Journal of Advanced Research on Classical and Modern Geometries ISSN: 2284-5569, pp.15-27 ON THE STANDARD LENGTHS OF ANGLE BISECTORS AND THE ANGLE BISECTOR THEOREM G.W INDIKA SHAMEERA AMARASINGHE ABSTRACT. In this paper the author unveils several alternative proofs for the standard lengths of Angle Bisectors and Angle Bisector Theorem in any triangle, along with some new useful derivatives of them. 2010 Mathematical Subject Classification: 97G40 Keywords and phrases: Angle Bisector theorem, Parallel lines, Pythagoras Theorem, Similar triangles. 1. INTRODUCTION In this paper the author introduces alternative proofs for the standard length of An- gle Bisectors and the Angle Bisector Theorem in classical Euclidean Plane Geometry, on a concise elementary format while promoting the significance of them by acquainting some prominent generalized side length ratios within any two distinct triangles existed with some certain correlations of their corresponding angles, as new lemmas. Within this paper 8 new alternative proofs are exposed by the author on the angle bisection, 3 new proofs each for the lengths of the Angle Bisectors by various perspectives with also 5 new proofs for the Angle Bisector Theorem. 1.1. The Standard Length of the Angle Bisector Date: 1 February 2012 . 15 G.W Indika Shameera Amarasinghe The length of the angle bisector of a standard triangle such as AD in figure 1.1 is AD2 = AB · AC − BD · DC, or AD2 = bc 1 − (a2/(b + c)2) according to the standard notation of a triangle as it was initially proved by an extension of the angle bisector up to the circumcircle of the triangle. -
Class 1: Overview of the Course; Ptolemaic Astronomy
a. But marked variations within this pattern, and hence different loops from one occasion to another: e.g. 760 days one time, 775 another, etc. b. Planetary speeds vary too: e.g. roughly 40 percent variation in apparent longitudinal motion per day of Mars from one extreme to another while away from retrograde 4. Each of the five planets has its own distinct basic pattern of periods of retrograde motion, and its own distinct pattern of variations on this basic pattern a. Can be seen in examples of Mars and Jupiter, where loops vary b. An anomaly on top of the anomaly of retrograde motion c. Well before 300 B.C. the Babylonians had discovered “great cycles” in which the patterns of retrograde loops and timings of stationary points repeat: e.g. 71 years for Jupiter (see Appendix for others) 5. The problem of the planets: give an account ('logos') of retrograde motion, including basic pattern, size of loops, and variations for each of the five planets a. Not to predict longitude and latitude every day b. Focus instead on salient events – i.e. phenomena: conjunctions, oppositions, stationary points, longitudinal distance between them c. For the Babylonians, just predict; for the Greeks, to give a geometric representation of the constituent motions giving rise to the patterns 6. Classical designations: "the first inequality": variation in mean daily angular speed, as in 40 percent variation for Mars and smaller variation for Sun; "the second inequality": retrograde motion, as exhibited by the planets, but not the sun and moon D. Classical Greek Solutions 1. -
Anaximander's Ἄπειρον
1 Pulished in: Ancient Philosophy Volume 39, Issue 1, Spring 2019 Anaximander’s ἄπειρον: from the Life-world to the Cosmic Event Horizon Norman Sieroka Pages 1-22 https://doi.org/10.5840/ancientphil2019391 1 Current affiliation of author (July 2020): Theoretische Philosophie, Universität Bremen www.uni-bremen.de/theophil/sieroka Abstract Scholars have claimed repeatedly that Anaximander’s notion of the ἄπειρον marks the first metaphysical concept, or even the first theoretical entity, in Western thought. The present paper scrutinizes this claim. Characterizing natural phenomena as ἄπειρος— that is, as being inexhaustible or untraversable by standard human means—was common in daily practice, especially when referring to landmasses and seas but also when referring to vast numbers of countable objects. I will deny the assumption that Anaximander’s notion started off as being a theoretical answer to a specific philosophical question. That said, the aforementioned everyday notion of ἄπειρος could still lead to the development of theoretical concepts. Based on the observations Anaximander did with seasonal sundials, the inexhaustible landmasses and seas just mentioned became depicted on his world map by means of concentric circles. These circles then marked the bounds of experience and, by being fixed and finite, suggested the possibility of traversing beyond what is directly experienced. Evaluating claims from recent Anaximander scholarship, the paper ends with a brief comparison with concepts from modern physics which play an analogous role of demarcating the bounds of experience. Anaximander’s ἄπειρον: from the Life-world to the Cosmic Event Horizon Norman Sieroka Interest in Anaximander (c. 610-c. 547 BC) has increased in recent years.