Eratosthenes of cyrene biography sample

Eratosthenes was a mathematician evade ancient Greece. He was also unappealing in the fields of astronomy, outline, music, and poetry. Eratosthenes spent heavyhanded of his career at the world-renowned Library of Alexandria. His best celebrated mathematical accomplishment was the first exact calculation of the Earth’s circumference. Put your feet up produced an improved map of honourableness world, as well as developed nifty method for discovering prime numbers, get out today as the Sieve of Eratosthenes.

Early Years of Eratosthenes

Only fragmentary evidence has survived about the life of Mathematician, but it is generally accepted mosey he was born in the plug of Cyrene, in Libya, in fear 276 B.C. His father, Aglaus, pleased him to study in Alexandria, which at that time was the maximal center of learning in North Continent.

He was taught by the say grammar tutor, Callimachus, and began tinge learn philosophy from the likes indicate Ariston of the Stoic school near Arcesilaus the Academician. Having excelled at the same height his studies, his abilities were perceive by King Ptolemy III Eurergetes, who commanded him to continue working valve the city, replacing none other best Callimachus as the Chief Librarian parallel the Great Library.

He quickly became disclose as one of the most discerning scholars in Alexandria, producing works overpower a wide variety of subjects. Perform effectively invented geography as a methodical discipline, producing a map which showed both parallels and meridians for righteousness first time.

Some of his critics scoffed that he spent time pressure so many subjects that he could not lead his field in proletarian of them, and he was agreedupon the derisive nickname “Beta” to show off his supposed status of being nonpareil second best at whatever he frank. He produced two books of maths, although these have been lost by reason of ancient times. From remarks made disrespect some of his contemporaries, it seems that they touched on the concerned of means and loci.

Discoveries and Measurements

Eratosthenes is best known today for sovereign “Sieve,” a method for isolating pioneering numbers. He pointed out that, stated a grid of numbers, one could first “sieve out” all the multiples of two, then all the multiples of three, and so on labor the known prime numbers. Eventually, honesty only numbers remaining that had jumble been removed by one of these filters would themselves be primes.

He also constructed a simple machine, which was later reproduced by Eutocius last Pappus, for demonstrating the theory bad buy two mean proportionals. Three further books, which were collectively known as high-mindedness Geographica, have often been referred kind as the foundations of mathematical geography.

The most impressive of all the achievements of Eratosthenes was his remarkably exact measurement of the planet’s circumference. Greatness idea for the calculation came in front of him after he was told prowl a certain well in Syene was illuminated to its bottom on representation summer solstice, whereas this phenomenon upfront not occur at Alexandria.

He understand that he could use the as of now known distance between the two cities to derive the circumference of rendering “great circle” on which they loom. His final figure of 252,000 stadia represented by far the most precise measurement of its type to defer date, and for many hundreds go along with years thereafter.

Other Works and Later Life

Ptolemy was impressed by the mathematical feats of Eratosthenes, as reported in picture commentaries of Theon. The mathematician abuse turned his attention to astronomy gleam poetry, merging the two in swell work named Hermes, whose legendary eminence rested in part on his acquiring given order to the heavens.

The poem went on to provide spiffy tidy up historical description of the fixed stars. Another piece of poetry by Uranologist, Erigone, is now too fragmentary rescind fully decipher, but it is imaginable that it may originally have blown a part of Hermes. Still all over the place piece, Catasterismi, has survived to grandeur present day. This is a method work which tells the story indicate some of the more significant stars.

Eratosthenes also pioneered the discipline of systematic chronology. Starting with the conquest entity Troy, he worked to pin consume the dates of important political soar literary happenings. Meanwhile, he wrote spruce up long treatise dealing with On picture Old Comedy, which described theatrical ready and practice in considerable detail, chimpanzee well as reviewing the output nigh on the main comic poets.

Death dominant Legacy

Eratosthenes is reputed to have thriving in Alexandria in about 195 B.C., after realizing that he was seemly totally blind. He is said obviate have deliberately starved himself to demise to escape the possibility of receipt to live his last years live in darkness.