Archimedes :: essays research papers

Archimedes is considered one of the iii greatest mathematicians of all time along with Newton and Gauss. In his stimulate time, he was known as "the sweet one," "the master" and "the great geometricalian" and his excogitates and inventions brought him fame that lasts to this very day. He was one of the last great classical mathematicians. Born in 287 B.C., in Syracuse, a Greek seaport dependency in Sicily, Archimedes was the son of Phidias, an astronomer. Except for his studies at Euclids school in Alexandria, he spent his entire life in his birth menage. Archimedes proved to be a master at mathematics and spent close of his time contemplating tender problems to solve, becoming at times so involved in his work that he forgot to eat. Lacking the blackboards and paper of modern times, he used whatsoever available surface, from the dust on the ground to ashes from an extinguished fire, to draw his geometric figures. Never giving up an opportunity to po nder his work, after cleanse and anointing himself with olive oil, he would trace figures in the oil on his own skin. Much of Archimedes fame comes from his relationship with Hiero, the king of Syracuse, and Gelon, Hieros son. The great geometer had a close friendship with and may have been related to the crowned head. In whatsoever case, he seemed to make a hobby out of solving the kings most complicated problems to the utter amazement of the sovereign. At one time, the king coherent a gold crown and gave the goldsmith the exact amount of coat to make it. When Hiero received it, the crown had the correct weight but the monarch suspected that some silver had been used instead of the gold. Since he could not prove it, he brought the problem to Archimedes. One day while considering the question, "the wise one" entered his bathtub and recognized that the amount of water that overflowed the tub was relative the amount of his body that was submerged. This observation is now k nown as Archimedes article of belief and gave him the means to solve the problem. He was so excited that he ran au naturel(predicate) through the streets of Syracuse shouting "Eureka eureka" (I have make it). The fraudulent goldsmith was brought to justice. Another time, Archimedes stated "Give me a place to stand on and I will move the earth." King Hiero, who was perfectly astonished by the statement, asked him to prove it.