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Greek Mathematical Works, Volume II: Aristarchus to Pappus
The wonderful achievement of Greek mathematics is here illustrated in two volumes of selected mathematical works. Volume I ("Loeb Classical Library no. 335") contains: The divisions of mathematics; mathematics in Greek education; calculation; arithmetical notation and operations, including square root and cube root; Pythagorean arithmetic, including properties of numbers; square root of 2; proportion and means; algebraic equations; Proclus; Thales; Pythagorean geometry; Democritus; Hippocrates of Chios; duplicating the cube and squaring the circle; trisecting angles; Theaetetus; Plato; Eudoxus of Cnidus (pyramid, cone); Aristotle (the infinite, the lever); Euclid.
Volume II contains: Aristarchus (distances of sun and moon); Archimedes (cylinder, sphere, cubic equations; conoids; spheroids; spiral; expression of large numbers; mechanics; hydrostatics); Eratosthenes (measurement of the earth); Apollonius (conic sections and other works); later development of geometry; trigonometry (including Ptolemy's table of sines); mensuration: Heron of Alexandria; algebra: Diophantus (determinate and indeterminate equations); the revival of geometry: Pappus.
Volume II contains: Aristarchus (distances of sun and moon); Archimedes (cylinder, sphere, cubic equations; conoids; spheroids; spiral; expression of large numbers; mechanics; hydrostatics); Eratosthenes (measurement of the earth); Apollonius (conic sections and other works); later development of geometry; trigonometry (including Ptolemy's table of sines); mensuration: Heron of Alexandria; algebra: Diophantus (determinate and indeterminate equations); the revival of geometry: Pappus.
704 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1941
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About the author
Aristarchus of Samos
17 books22 followersfloruit 270 BC
Greek astronomer Aristarchus of Samos first proposed that the Earth moves around the Sun, the center of the universe.
This ancient mathematician presented the known model that placed the revolution. Philolaus of Croton influenced him, who nevertheless identified the "fire" and put the other planets in their correct order of distance. People often rejected his ideas in favor of the theories of Aristotle and Ptolemy.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aristar...
Greek astronomer Aristarchus of Samos first proposed that the Earth moves around the Sun, the center of the universe.
This ancient mathematician presented the known model that placed the revolution. Philolaus of Croton influenced him, who nevertheless identified the "fire" and put the other planets in their correct order of distance. People often rejected his ideas in favor of the theories of Aristotle and Ptolemy.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aristar...
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
December 21, 2013
Although I did maths up to calculus, I don't have a mathematical bent and so this book was a tad laborious for me but nonetheless interesting to see how far the Greeks got - Archimedes of course a wonder with his near enough pi and the rest. Aristarchus came up with the heliocentric earth and I wondered if he hadn't miscalculated the distances from the earth of sun and moon might he not have thought the planets too went round the sun. His proof seemed all right to me and must've been or the editor would've said, so the premiss must've been wrong. Erastophenes calculated pretty exactly the circumference of the earth, so no excuse for believing they thought it flat or smaller than it is.
I followed proofs as well I could (except towards the end)and more or less got them. Of course from the story of his death I read in childhood, I knew Archimedes was old but not how old. Seventy-five. That's not so bad, I was thinking until I recollected guess who is seventy-five and how much more Archimedes might not have achieved if let live. The stories of his death differ except he was killed by a Roman soldier, the likeliest being by one who thought he'd be rewarded by Marcellus, and you can see why an ordinary soldier would think that, but Marcellus looked upon him as somebody polluted and even an ordinary Roman soldier should've been aware that to kill such a man, even in the taking of a city, should've been taboo, especially if expressly told not to by the commander (though I suppose that might be propaganda put about after the event. The Greek sources would be less likely to lie.)
I followed proofs as well I could (except towards the end)and more or less got them. Of course from the story of his death I read in childhood, I knew Archimedes was old but not how old. Seventy-five. That's not so bad, I was thinking until I recollected guess who is seventy-five and how much more Archimedes might not have achieved if let live. The stories of his death differ except he was killed by a Roman soldier, the likeliest being by one who thought he'd be rewarded by Marcellus, and you can see why an ordinary soldier would think that, but Marcellus looked upon him as somebody polluted and even an ordinary Roman soldier should've been aware that to kill such a man, even in the taking of a city, should've been taboo, especially if expressly told not to by the commander (though I suppose that might be propaganda put about after the event. The Greek sources would be less likely to lie.)
May 9, 2024
Who knew that trigonometry could predict the heliocentric model?
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews