MTH 055 - Ancient Greek Mathematics

Course Units: 1.0

(Not Offered this Academic Year) Ancient Greek mathematicians fundamentally re-invented the notions of abstraction (in mathematics and other fields), absolute precision, and proof. The approach to mathematics that we take today can be traced back to these Greek mathematicians. After examining some pre-Greek mathematical traditions, we study Greek mathematics and its legacies in medieval Islamic and western cultures and in early modern Europe. Topics include Plato and his academy; Euclid and his Elements and the Euclidean construction problems; the greatest of the Greek mathematicians, Archimedes; and the philosophical and cultural influence of Greek mathematics on human endeavors such as understanding the cosmos, educating the young, and running the world. CC: QMR