Abstract
The classical era of Greek mathematical development stretched over a period of approximately ten centuries, from about 600 B.C. to 400 A.D. However, it reached an early climax in the third century B.C. with the work of Archimedes and that of his younger contemporary Apollonius, who elaborated a comprehensive theory of the conic sections. Coincident with the establishment of Roman power in the Mediterranean area during the second century B.C., Hellenistic culture in general, and Greek theoretical mathematics in particular, began a period of decline that produced no new contributions comparable to those of Eudoxus, Euclid, Archimedes, and Apollonius.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
References
M. E. Baron, The Origins of the Infinitesimal Calculus. London: Pergamon, 1969, Chapter 2.
C. B. Boyer, History of the Calculus. New York: Dover, 1959, Chapter III.
C. B. Boyer, History of Analytic Geometry. New York: Scripta Mathematica, 1956, Chapters III–V.
C. B. Boyer, A History of Mathematics. New York: Wiley, 1968, Chapters XI–XVII.
M. Clagett, The Science of Mechanics in the Middle Ages. University of Wisconsin Press, 1959, Chapters 4–6.
M. Clagett, Archimedes in the Middle Ages, Vol. 1. University of Wisconsin Press, 1964.
M. Clagett, Nicole Oresme and the Medieval Geometry of Qualities and Motions. University of Wisconsin Press, 1968, Chapters I and II.
E. J. Dijksterhuis, The Mechanization of the World Picture. Oxford University Press, 1961, Part II.
E. Grant, Physical Science in the Middle Ages. New York: Wiley, 1971, Chapters I–IV.
E. Grant, A Source Book in Medieval Science. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1974.
J. Klein, Greek Mathematical Thought and the Origins of Algebra. MIT Press, 1968.
M. S. Mahoney, The Mathematical Career of Pierre de Fermat. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 1973. Chapters II and III.
D. E. Smith and M. L. Latham, The Geometry of Rene Descartes. Chicago: Open Court, 1925 (Dover reprint).
B. L. van der Waerden, Science Awakening. Oxford University Press, 1961, Chapter VIII.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 1979 Springer-Verlag New York, Inc.
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Edwards, C.H. (1979). Twilight, Darkness, and Dawn. In: The Historical Development of the Calculus. Springer Study Edition. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4612-6230-5_3
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4612-6230-5_3
Publisher Name: Springer, New York, NY
Print ISBN: 978-0-387-94313-8
Online ISBN: 978-1-4612-6230-5
eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive