Article ID: CBB001211810

Practicing Algebra in Late Antiquity: The Problem-Solving of Diophantus of Alexandria (2013)

unapi

Medieval algebra is distinguished from other arithmetical problem-solving techniques by its structure and technical vocabulary. In an algebraic solution one or several unknowns are named, and via operations on the unknowns the problem is transferred to the artificial setting of an equation expressed in terms of the named powers, which is then simplified and solved. In this article we examine Diophantus' Arithmetica from this perspective. We find that indeed Diophantus' method matches medieval algebra in both vocabulary and structure. Just as we see in medieval Arabic and Italian algebra, Diophantus worked out the operations expressed in the enunciation of a problem prior to setting up a polynomial equation. Further, his polynomials were regarded as aggregations with no operations present.

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Authors & Contributors
Thomaidis, Yannis
Christianidis, Jean P.
M. Rosa Massa-Esteve
Megremi, Athanasia
Ezra Brown
Mellado-Romero, Antonio
Concepts
Mathematics
Algebra
Arab/Islamic world, civilization and culture
Astronomy
Equations and formulae
Philosophy
Time Periods
Ancient
Medieval
3rd century
Early modern
Modern
17th century
Places
Greece
Alexandria (Egypt)
Rome (Italy)
Middle and Near East
Hellenistic world
Mediterranean region
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