In the city-state of Syracuse, Sicily a Greek mathematician who would soon make history was born: Archimedes From his birth to his adulthood, he proved just how much of a difference one man could make. Through the use of science and mathematics, Archimedes was able to leave a major impact on ancient society.
During his youth, Archimedes was an ambitious learner. His father, Phidias, would make Archimedes solve numerous math problems. He solved most of them correctly, proving to his father that he was worthy of a solid education (Zannos 21). He studied in Alexandria, Egypt under the guidance of Euclid. Besides math, Phidias would often take Archimedes for walks at night. During those walks, Archimedes was intrigued by the stars of the night sky (Zannos 17). Was this a sign for the future?
Once he grew up, there is no doubt that he was a savior for ancient times. One of his most famous inventions, which is still used today, was called the Archimedes’ Screw. Invented around 250 BCE, this device was beneficial to different parts of the world in different ways. For example, people in Egypt used this to irrigate their fields while people in Spain used it to empty water from mines. On ships, this device was used to empty out water (Zannos 24). The process of working it was not complex at all. This tool consists of a spiral that is located within a cylindrical shaped object. One side of that cylinder is put into the water. With the use of a cranky, this spiral turns and water leaves from the top side of the cylinder (Zannos 25).
One of the most well-known events about Archimedes was his “Eureka!” moment. One day, Archimedes went into his bathtub. When he went in, he made a surprising discovery. “What Archimedes had realized was th...
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...o Mathematics and Science as well as help his city. His city fought off the Romans for three years, but then it all crumbled. Still, Sicilians will never forget the man who assisted them so much.
Works Cited
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Zannos, Susan. The Life and Times of Archimedes. Hockessin, DE: Mitchell Lane, 2005.
"“hubris.” Encyclopedia of Ancient Literature. James Wyatt Cook. New York: Facts on File, 2008. 331. Facts on File Library of World Literature: Literary Movements. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 05 March 2014.
Geometry, a cornerstone in modern civilization, also had its beginnings in Ancient Greece. Euclid, a mathematician, formed many geometric proofs and theories [Document 5]. He also came to one of the most significant discoveries of math, Pi. This number showed the ratio between the diameter and circumference of a circle.
...to the Second Punic War with the defense of Syracuse. He even made amazing engineering tools and machines that benefitted the community, like the Archimedes screw, which helped irrigation among other things. The Archimedes’ principle, which is said to of helped King Hiero ll, showed the different densities between objects using the buoyancy of the water. The findings in mathematics from Archimedes like The Quadrature of the Parabola and the Measurement of a Circle have greatly benefitted mathematics and are still helping now. Archimedes wrote a lot of different works, including his most famous Archimedes Palimpsest, which contained many more important writing like On Floating Bodies. With his amazing inventions, intricate ideas on science, intelligent theorems and principles in mathematics, and his life in general, Archimedes has greatly affected society in many ways
Ball, Rouse. “Sir Isaac Newton.” A Short Account of the History of Mathematics. 4th ed. Print.
Pythagoras had many teachers but one of the most important of those teachers was Pherekydes who is described by many to be "the teacher of Pythagoras." Between the ages of 18 and 20 Pythagoras studied under Anaximander and he contributes that his astronomy was the natural development of Anaximander's.
Virgil. “The Aeneid, Book IV”. The Norton Anthology of Western Literature. 8th ed. Vol. 1. New York: W.W. Norton, 2006. 974-95. Print.
"Plato." The Norton Anthology of World Masterpieces, Volume I. 6th ed. NY: W.W. Norton and Co., 1992. 726-746.
Euclid Of Alexandria may be the best-known mathematician of the world, he is best known for his work on mathematics The Elements. The fact that his work has survived so long, 2000 years in fact, is a tribute to his mathematical genius, however very little of him is known. Three theories abound as to the true nature of this historical figure. Not all historians agree that Euclid was in fact a historical figure, some argue that the school in Alexandria took up the name Euclid to publish their works. But the more accepted theories are that Euclid was in fact a real historical figure who may have been the leader of a team of mathematicians.
Euclid and Archimedes are two of the most important scientists and mathematicians of all time. Their achievements and discoveries play a pivotal role in today’s mathematics and sciences. A lot of the very basic principles and core subjects of mathematics, physics, engineering, inventing, and astronomy came from the innovations, inventions, and discoveries that were made by both Euclid and Archimedes.
Damrosch, David, and David Pike. The Longman Anthology of World Literature. The Ancient World. Volume A. Second Edition. New York: Pearson/Longman, 2009. Pgs. .656-691. Print.
Cheney, Sheldon. The Age of Reason In Greece: Pythagoras and Plato. Baltimore,Md: Kessinger Publishing, 2008.
Historically speaking, ancient inventors of Greek origin, mathematicians such as Archimedes of Syracuse, and Antiphon the Sophist, were the first to discover the basic elements that translated into what we now understand and have formed into the mathematical branch called calculus. Archimedes used infinite sequences of triangular areas to calculate the area of a parabolic segment, as an example of summation of an infinite series. He also used the Method of Exhaustion, invented by Antiphon, to approximate the area of a circle, as an example of early integration.
Burton, D. (2011). The History of Mathematics: An Introduction. (Seventh Ed.) New York, NY. McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
The history of math has become an important study, from ancient to modern times it has been fundamental to advances in science, engineering, and philosophy. Mathematics started with counting. In Babylonia mathematics developed from 2000B.C. A place value notation system had evolved over a lengthy time with a number base of 60. Number problems were studied from at least 1700B.C. Systems of linear equations were studied in the context of solving number problems.