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Pappus of Alexandria: Edited with Translation and Commentary by Heike Sefrin-Weis: Bk. 4 (Sources and Studies in the History of Mathematics and Physical Sciences) - Hardcover
Book 18 of 59: Sources and Studies in the History of Mathematics and Physical Sciences
Synopsis
For many experts in ancient Greek mathematics, the four great mathematicians in antiquity were Euclid, Archimedes, Apollonius and Pappus of Alexandria. The Collection, Pappus' most highly-praised and recognised works, consisted of eight volumes, covering a variety of mathematical topics. This volume, the fourth book of the Collection, is devoted to the study of Hellenistic geometry from the point of view of mathematical methods and strategies. Written in the 4th Century, A.D., it contains arguments that illustrate the different uses of ancient Greek analysis, and a discussion of all three of the famous ancient problems in geometry: squaring the circle, trisecting the angle, and doubling the cube. Containing a thorough, annotated translation, as well as a rigorous analysis and commentary by Prof. H. Sefrin-Weis, this edition represents the most up-to-date and critical version of Pappus' fourth volume and will be a fascinating read for mathematicians, scholars, students and researchers with an interest in ancient Greek geometry.
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From the Back Cover
Although not so well known today, Book 4 of Pappus’ Collection is one of the most important and influential mathematical texts from antiquity, both because of its content and because of its impact on early modern mathematics after 1600. As a kind of textbook in anthology format, the mathematical vignettes form a portrait of mathematics during the Hellenistic "Golden Age", illustrating central problems – for example, it discusses all three of the famous ancient problems in geometry: squaring the circle; doubling the cube; and trisecting an angle – varying solution strategies, and the different mathematical styles within ancient geometry.
This volume provides an English translation of Collection 4, in full, for the first time, including:
- a new edition of the Greek text, based on a fresh transcription from the main manuscript and offering an alternative to Hultsch’s standard edition;
- notes to facilitate understanding of the steps in the mathematical argument;
- a commentary highlighting aspects of the work that have so far been neglected, and supporting the reconstruction of a coherent plan and vision within the work;
- bibliographical references for further study.
Historians of mathematics will find it useful for scholarly work on ancient geometry and its reception in the early modern era and it will also serve as a source book for exemplary arguments in ancient geometry. Pappus himself probably intended Collection 4 to be an introductory survey of the classical geometrical tradition – from the point of view of mathematical methods and strategies – for readers that had a basic training in elementary geometry (Elements I – VI). Likewise, this edition can be used as a textbook in advanced undergraduate and graduate courses on the history of ancient geometry.
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