Euclid

Euclid (/ˈjuːklɪd/; Greek: Εὐκλείδης, Eukleidēs Ancient Greek: [eu̯.klěː.dɛːs]; fl. 300 BCE), sometimes called Euclid of Alexandria to distinguish him from Euclid of Megara, was a Greek mathematician, often referred to as the "father of geometry".

Biography

He was active in Alexandria during the reign of Ptolemy I (323–283 BCE). His Elements is one of the most influential works in the history of mathematics, serving as the main textbook for teaching mathematics (especially geometry) from the time of its publication until the late 19th or early 20th century.

Works

In the Elements, Euclid deduced the principles of what is now called Euclidean geometry from a small set of axioms. Euclid also wrote works on perspective, conic sections, spherical geometry, number theory and rigor.

Etymology

Euclid is the anglicized version of the Greek name Εὐκλείδης, which means "renowned, glorious".

See also

• Geometry
• Mathematician
• Mathematics

External links

• Euclid @ Wikipedia