Mathematician archimedes history
Who is the Father of Mathematics?
Archimedes is known as the Father of Mathematics. Mathematics is one of the ancient sciences developed in time immemorial. A major topic of discussion regarding this particular field of science is about who is the father of mathematics.
19 January 2021
Reading Time: 4 minutes
Archimedes is regarded as one of the most notable Greek mathematicians. He is known as the Father of Mathematics.
In this article, we will be dealing with a small introduction to the great mathematicians' lives of all time. The significant discoveries, concepts in mathematical science are the contributions of the father of mathematics. Any student who is enthusiastic about learning the techniques of mathematical problems would have ever wondered about who is the creator of mathematics.
Life of Archimedes | Father of Mathematics
- Archimedes is considered the Father of Mathematics for his significant contribution to the development of mathematics. His contributions are being used in great vigour, even in modern times.
- Although a little is known about his birth, family, and early childhood, he is still considered one famous classical antiquity figure. He was born in 287 BC into an astronomer family and died in 212 BC in the Siege of Syracuse. Phidias is the name of his Astronomer father. He was born in Syracuse, which was a Greek colony at that time.
- From his childhood, Archimedes took an interest in studying science, mathematics, and politics. Throughout his entire life, Archimedes was fascinated with mathematical equations and problem-solving.
- Archimedes's family also supported him in getting a proper education. This was probably the reason for which he joined the School of Mathematics, which is in Egypt.
Downloadable PDF
Archimedes is a famous Greek Mathematician who is regarded as the Father of Mathematics, devoted his whole life to discovering mathematics and a
Quick Info
Syracuse, Sicily (now Italy)
Syracuse, Sicily (now Italy)
Biography
Archimedes' father was Phidias, an astronomer. We know nothing else about Phidias other than this one fact and we only know this since Archimedes gives us this information in one of his works, The Sandreckoner. A friend of Archimedes called Heracleides wrote a biography of him but sadly this work is lost. How our knowledge of Archimedes would be transformed if this lost work were ever found, or even extracts found in the writing of others.Archimedes was a native of Syracuse, Sicily. It is reported by some authors that he visited Egypt and there invented a device now known as Archimedes' screw. This is a pump, still used in many parts of the world. It is highly likely that, when he was a young man, Archimedes studied with the successors of Euclid in Alexandria. Certainly he was completely familiar with the mathematics developed there, but what makes this conjecture much more certain, he knew personally the mathematicians working there and he sent his results to Alexandria with personal messages. He regarded Conon of Samos, one of the mathematicians at Alexandria, both very highly for his abilities as a mathematician and he also regarded him as a close friend.
In the preface to On spirals Archimedes relates an amusing story regarding his friends in Alexandria. He tells us that he was in the habit of sending them statements of his latest theorems, but without giving proofs. Apparently some of the mathematicians there had claimed the results as their own so Archimedes says that on the last occasion when he sent them theorems he included two wh
The Archimedes Palimpsest
Archimedes was born in the city of Syracuse on the island of Sicily in 287 BC. He was the son of an astronomer and mathematician named Phidias. Aside from that, very little is known about the early life of Archimedes or his family. Some maintain that he belonged to the nobility of Syracuse, and that his family was in some way related to that of Hiero II, King of Syracuse.
In the third century BC, Syracuse was a hub of commerce, art and science. As a youth in Syracuse Archimedes developed his natural curiosity and penchant for problem solving. When he had learned as much as he could from his teachers, Archimedes traveled to Egypt in order to study in Alexandria. Founded by Alexander the Great in 331 BC, Alexandria had, by Archimedes' time, earned a reputation for great learning and scholarship.
Euclid was one of the most well-known scholars who lived in Alexandria prior to Archimedes' arrival in the city. Euclid was a renowned mathematician, perhaps best remembered for collecting all of the existent Greek geometrical treatises and assembling them in a logical and systematic order in his book, “The Elements.” This compilation was fundamental to the study of geometry for over 2,000 years, and undoubtedly influenced the work of Archimedes.
After his studies in Alexandria, Archimedes returned to Syracuse and pursued a life of thought and invention. Many apocryphal legends record how Archimedes endeared himself to King Hiero II, discovering solutions to problems that vexed the king.
Archimedes' Screw
One such story recounts how a perplexed King Hiero was unable to empty rainwater from the hull of one of his ships. The King called upon Archimedes for assistance. Archimedes' solution was to create a machine consisting of a hollow tube containing a spiral that could be turned by a handle at one end. When the lower end of the tube was placed into the hull and the handle turned, water was carried up the tube and out of the boa
Meet Archimedes of Syracuse: The Mathematician Who Discovered Pi and Designed War Machines
It’s the most wonderful time of the year—for mathematicians, anyway.
Pi Day is Thursday, March 14. The relatively new holiday is a celebration of the mathematical calculation pi, or the infinite number representing the constant ratio of a circle’s circumference to its diameter. Pi is essential to engineering and modern construction.
Although many sought to find it, the calculation of pi, which is also expressed by the fraction 22/7, is commonly credited to Greek mathematician Archimedes of Syracuse more than 2,200 years ago.
According to History.com, physicist Larry Shaw founded Pi Day day in 1988, selecting March 14 because the numeric date represents the first three digits of pi (3.14). It also happens to be Albert Einstein’s birthday.
The first Pi Day took place at the Exploratorium, a San Francisco–based science museum, and featured a circular parade and fruit pies. The latter has become a delicious tradition among academic and office settings. In 2009, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a resolution recognizing March 14 as National Pi Day.
According to the Exploratorium, mathematicians began using π, the Greek letter pi, for the calculation’s symbol in the 1700s, starting with William Jones in 1706. Leonhard Euler subsequently popularized the symbol.
As for Archimedes, you might be surprised to learn that pi was just one of his many important discoveries and inventions.
Who Was Archimedes?
In this drawing, Archimedes is confronted by a Roman soldier during the takeover of Syracuse.
According to NOVA, Archimedes was born in Syracuse—on the Mediterranean island of Sicily, not upstate New York—around 287 BCE. He was the son of astronomer Phidias and a close ally of Syracuse’s King Hieron and his son, whom he served many years.
Archimedes traveled to Egypt to study at the Library of Alexandria at age 18 and, upon completing his work, returned to