The Maths-Classics project

Assignment 5

The Greeks

There were many famous Greek Mathematicians. Write briefly about the following men: the information in brackets may help you.

PYTHAGORAS     ( theorem )

 

EUCLID     ( measuring the width of a river )

 

ARCHIMEDES     ( heureka ( which is the proper Greek word, rather than eureka!), principle, screw )

 

ERATOSTHENES ( circumference of the earth, sieve )

 

Draw each of the following . Find out the literal meaning and explain how the mathematical meaning has developed.

 

1. trapezium ( literally means 'table shape', why maths meaning? )

 

2. rhombus

 

3. isosceles triangle

 

4. parallel lines

 

5. parallelogram

 

6. sphere

 

7. pyramid

 

8. tetrahedron

 

9. cone

 

10. cylinder

 

11. prism