Unit:
Κατεύθυνση Ιστορία και Φιλοσοφία της Επιστήμης και της ΤεχνολογίαςLibrary of the School of Science
Supervisors info:
Μιχάλης Σιάλαρος, Επίκουρος, Τμήμα Ιστορίας και Φιλοσοφίας της Επιστήμης, Σχολή Θετικών Επιστημών, ΕΚΠΑ
Γιάννης Χριστιανίδης, Καθηγητής, Τμήμα Ιστορίας και Φιλοσοφίας της Επιστήμης, Σχολή Θετικών Επιστημών, ΕΚΠΑ
Κώστας Δημητρακόπουλος, Καθηγητής, Τμήμα Ιστορίας και Φιλοσοφίας της Επιστήμης, Σχολή Θετικών Επιστημών, ΕΚΠΑ
Original Title:
Η αναβίωση της διαμάχης για τη Γεωμετρική Άλγεβρα
Translated title:
The revival of the debate on Geometric Algebra
Summary:
The publication of Sabetai Unguru’s controversial work in 1975 which refers on the need to rewrite the history of Ancient Mathematics has provided a fertile ground for a dialogue which has been sufficiently and thoroughly analysed the past 50 years. The origin of this paper is sketched according to research studies conducted over the last half century which enriched the already existing historiography by highlighting the complexity of the research field of the History of Ancient Greek Mathematics.
The field of historiography is divided into two categories independent of the time of writing for reasons that will be explained below; the first phase of the conflict and its revival. Within this framework, a new reading and a rather broader approach are offered to capture the arguably most controversial topic in the field of Ancient Greek Mathematics, namely the debate on geometrical algebra. In this light, key points of the controversy are re-examined, such as the use of modern symbolic notation in the translation of ancient mathematical texts which has always been a central point of dialogue, the interaction between Greek and Babylonian tradition in mathematics which was in fact the cause of the controversy, as well as the starting point of all above, which stems from how the exponents of the conflict perceive the matter of the History of Mathematics as well as the historian’s eye.
Main subject category:
Science
Keywords:
Ancient Greek Mathematics, History of mathematics, Unguru, geometric algebra, Euclid.
