Archimedes

Running head : ARCHIMEDES

Archimedes ' Geometry and Inventions

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Abstract

Most historians and mathematicians consider Archimedes of Syracuse as one of the greatest mathematicians of all time . His achievements in mathematics were outstanding . He contributed many theorems in geometry that have applications in other fields such as engineering , physics , and astronomy . One of which he is most famous for is his theorem that measures the weight of a body immersed in a liquid (called the Archimedes ' principle

. Archimedes is great both in theory and application as he did not only gain reputation for being a mathematical genius but also as an inventor

Archimedes ' Geometry and Inventions

Introduction

Archimedes was a native of Syracuse , Sicily . His date of birth was dated 287 BC based from John Tzetzes ' assertion that Arhimedes lived for 75 years . Little is known about his family and his early life but he had written in his The Sandreckoner that his father was named Phidias and that he was an astronomer . Other information about his life was written by Heracleides , which was Archimedes ' friend , but sadly , the work was lost . We can not tell as it is unknown , whether he had a wife or children . Some of his writings showed that he probably spent part of his life under Euclid 's contemporaries in Alexandria , Egypt . He had communicated with mathematicians in Alexandria , especially Conon of Samos and Eratosthenes of Cyrene . He sent them mathematical theorems and problems to his own delight (and revenge . One of the problems which he sent to them was the Cattle Problem presented in a forty-four-line poem that took a number of years before it was completely solved . It was in 1880 that A . Amthor finally found the general solution

Other than being a mathematician , Archimedes also invented many mechanical devices that were used mostly in the defense of his native city upon the invasion of Roman soldiers . One of which is the Archimedes ' screw which is still used in some parts of the world today This is a pump made of a revolving screw inside a cylinder that is turned by hand and is able to transfer water from a lower position to a higher one . He also designed block and tackle pulley system , as describe by Plutarch , which enabled people to lift heavy objects with lesser amount of force

Perhaps Archimedes ' most popular discovery is the Archimedes ' principle allowing people to compute the volume of an irregularly-shaped object This principle states that a body immersed in a fluid is pushed upward by a buoyant force that is equal to the weight of the fluid displaced This is useful in hydrostatics and is known to be the Archimedes principle . According to Vitruvius , Archimedes made this discovery upon the request of his friend , King Hieron II , that the new gold crown in the shape of a laurel wreath be tested if it were made of pure gold or not . However , he must...