The Conics of Apollonius remains a central work of Greek mathematics to this day. Despite this, much recent scholarship has neglected the Conics in favor of works of Archimedes. While these are no less important in their own right, a full understanding of the Greek mathematical corpus cannot be bereft of systematic studies of the Conics. However, recent scholarship on Archimedes has revealed that the role of secondary commentaries is also important. In this thesis, I provide a translation of Eutocius' commentary on the Conics, demonstrating the interplay between the two works and their authors as what I call conjugate. I also give a treatment on the duplication problem and on compound ratios, topics which are tightly linked to the Conics and the rest of the Greek mathematical corpus. My discussion of the duplication problem also includes two computer programs useful for visualizing Archytas' and Eratosthenes' solutions.
Dissertation
Conjugate diameters: Apollonius of Perga and Eutocius of Ascalon
University of Iowa
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), University of Iowa
Summer 2010
DOI: 10.17077/etd.hrevzecw
Free to read and download, Open Access
Abstract
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- Conjugate diameters: Apollonius of Perga and Eutocius of Ascalon
- Creators
- Colin Bryan Powell McKinney - University of Iowa
- Contributors
- Daniel D. Anderson (Advisor)Craig A. Gibson (Committee Member)Paul S. Muhly (Committee Member)Palle E. T. Jorgensen (Committee Member)Philip C. Kutzko (Committee Member)
- Resource Type
- Dissertation
- Degree Awarded
- Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), University of Iowa
- Degree in
- Mathematics
- Date degree season
- Summer 2010
- Publisher
- University of Iowa
- DOI
- 10.17077/etd.hrevzecw
- Number of pages
- ix, 176 pages
- Copyright
- Copyright 2010 Colin Bryan Powell McKinney
- Language
- English
- Description bibliographic
- Includes bibliographical references (pages 175-176).
- Academic Unit
- Mathematics
- Record Identifier
- 9983776506202771
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