Posted on 01/24/2009 6:43:23 PM PST by Daffynition
The top layer of writing in this 700-year-old book describes Christian prayers. But underneath, almost obliterated, are the only surviving copies of many of the works of the ancient Greek mathematician Archimedes.
The owner of the Archimedes Palimpsest.
Dirty MATH book ping!........
A good concept of infinity is necessary for calculus, but also a good concept of zero is also, which would not come until the Arab mathematicians of the Dark Ages invented it........
I’m not trying to pick a fight, really, but zero was discovered and not invented...imho.
That IS calculus = y*0*infinity <> 0
a=b=1
aa=ab
aa-bb=ab-bb
(a+b)(a-b)=b(a-b)
a+b=b
2=1
The idea of “zero” was well known, but the actual representation of zero as a number had to be invented. We use Arabic numerals because their numbering system was so much easier to use and calculate with than the Roman or Greek numbering systems that used letters for numbers and quantities. The place holder numeral “zero” was indeed a great invention........
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Thanks Red Badger. Archimedes Palimpsest update. |
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Cool history story bump.
Moebius on ice...
...with a twist.
LOL. I crack myself up.
Can I ...um...borrow that book?
The Arabs had nothing to do with the concept of zero except to carry it over from India where it was discovered and used for centuries before the Islamic conquests. (They took credit for everything they didn’t destroy).
The Arabs had nothing to do with the concept of zero except to carry it over from India where it was discovered and used for centuries before the Islamic conquests. (The Islamics took credit for everything they didn’t destroy).
How did you get from the fourth line to the fifth one?
2=1
That’s good!
(except for the dividing by zero part)
Cancel out (a-b) on each side of the equation.
I heard you the first time....;^)
0/0=?......
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