Saturday, August 12, 2006

Greek mathematics manuscript

Here's what Archimedes Ph.D defense looks like...

1 comment:

Arelcao Akleos said...

It is a thing of beauty, and lucky beauty. The manuscripts were not found until the end of the 19th century, a short decade or so before the destruction of the Greek monasteries under, first, the Ottomans, and then completed under Ataturk. For once, Clio was merciful.
By the way, I do not think it is possible to appreciate the power of Archimedes' thought until you compare his work to his predecessors and contemporaries. The gap between is daunting. With the exception of his work on "integration" [pace pedentic historians], the Syracusan's investigations had simply never been dreamt of before, never mind equalled.....But that is a story for a quieter day. First, there is the sad matter of Barbarians through the gates.