Article ID: CBB000670255

Renaissance Notions of Number and Magnitude (2006)

unapi

In the 16th and 17th centuries the classical Greek notions of (discrete) number and (continuous) magnitude (preserved in medieval Latin translations of Euclid's Elements) underwent a major transformation that turned them into continuous but measurable magnitudes. This article studies the changes introduced in the classical notions of number and magnitude by three influential Renaissance editions of Euclid's Elements. Besides providing evidence of earlier discussions preparing notions and arguments eventually introduced in Simon Stevin's Arithmétique of 1585, these editions document the role abacus algebra and Renaissance views on the history of mathematics played in bridging the gulf between discrete numbers and continuous magnitudes.

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Authors & Contributors
Rommevaux, Sabine
Emmet P. Harrington
Wilson, Robin J.
Suppes, Patrick C.
Sorci, Alessandra
Richardson, John Thomas Edwin
Concepts
Mathematics
Discrete mathematics
Geometry
Physics
East Asia, civilization and culture
Mathematical analysis
Time Periods
Renaissance
16th century
Ancient
Medieval
18th century
20th century, late
Places
Greece
China
Italy
England
Russia
Japan
Institutions
Florida State University
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