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The meaning of πλασμαтιкό ν in Diophantus’ Arithmetica.
- Source :
- Archive for History of Exact Sciences; Jan2009, Vol. 63 Issue 1, p5-31, 27p
- Publication Year :
- 2009
-
Abstract
- Three problems in book I of Diophantus’ Arithmetica contain the adjective plasmatikon, that appears to qualify an implicit reference to some theorems in Elements, book II. The translation and meaning of the adjective sparked a long-lasting controversy that has become a nonnegligible aspect of the debate about the possibility of interpreting Diophantus’ approach and, more generally, Greek mathematics in algebraic terms. The correct interpretation of the word, a technical term in the Greek rhetorical tradition that perfectly fits the context in which it is inserted in the Arithmetica, entails that Diophantus’ text contained no (implicit) reference to Euclid’s Elements. The clause containing the adjective turns out to be a later interpolation, that cannot be used to support any algebraic interpretation of the Arithmetica. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Subjects :
- ARITHMETIC
GREEK mathematics
ALGEBRA
INTERPOLATION
TRANSLATING & interpreting
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 00039519
- Volume :
- 63
- Issue :
- 1
- Database :
- Complementary Index
- Journal :
- Archive for History of Exact Sciences
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 35996862
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1007/s00407-008-0028-8