Pappus_Of_Alexandria

Pappus Of Alexandria Pappus of Alexandria. Pappus, regarded as an important Greek mathematician, was born in Alexandria in Egypt. His interest in mathematics is said to have began from when he observed a solar eclipse on October 18, 320 and then since has focused his work on geometry. Everything associated with Pappus mathematical mind was included in the collection of books he wrote called ‘the synagogue’. The purpose of the volumes were to revive geometry and restore it to a level of significance, usually by providing further explanations or supplements to the works of previous geometers. The knowledge of some mathematicians was only a result from his citation. ‘The Synagogue’ consisted of 7 books although the first 2 books are missing. Book III distinguishes plane, solid and linear problems and a summary of finding two mean proportionals (a:x=x:y=a:y). He shows that given two of the numbers a, b, c and the type of mean the third can be calculated. Book IV is an extension of Pythagoras’ theorem for parallelograms constructed on the legs of any triangle. He also includes material on the Archemedian spiral (the shape of a screw), such as finding the area of one turn Book V reproduces the work of Zeodorus on isoperimetric figures. He pappus, work, book, figures, works, one, nature, mathematical, volume, two, theorem, mean, material, great, geometry, called, books, bees, whole, understanding, triangle, synagogue’, subject, solid, shows, show, shape, revolution, own, others, mechanics, mathematicians, included, important, greek