Diophantus
Greek mathematician, author of Arithmetica, often called the father of algebra.
Algebraic equations with integer coefficients that require integer solutions are called Diophantine equations in modern usage.[1] Because certain problems in the Arithmetica spurred later developments in abstract algebra and number theory, Diophantus is occasionally called the father of algebra.[1] Number theory includes two subfields—Diophantine geometry and Diophantine approximations—that carry his name.[1]
Quick Facts
- Born
- 3rd century CE
- Birthplace
- Alexandria
- Known for
- Algebra
- Notable students
- Anatolius of Alexandria (possibly)
Facts from the source article.
Life and work
He probably flourished in the third century CE, but may have lived between 170 BCE and 350 CE.[2] His major work, Arithmetica, is a collection of 290 algebraic problems with numerical solutions.[3] Two lost works, Porisms and On Parts, are known from references.[2][4] Very little is known for certain about Diophantus's biography.[2]
The Arithmetica comprised thirteen books originally; today six Greek copies and four Arabic copies are extant, with the Arabic ones found in 1968.[3] Algebra was already practiced before Diophantus; he employed it to resolve arithmetic questions rather than inventing the method.[5] By permitting fractions as coefficients and in solutions, Diophantus was one of the earliest to treat positive rational numbers as numbers.[6] The term παρισότης (parisotēs) was introduced by Diophantus for approximate equality; this concept later evolved into Fermat's adequality.[6]
An unfinished treatise titled On Polygonal Numbers is preserved in four Byzantine manuscripts.[2]
References
- Wikipedia, "Diophantus" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Hettle, "The Symbolic and Mathematical Influence of Diophantus's Arithmetica", Journal of Humanistic Mathematics, 2015, p. 139–166; Livio, "The Equation That Couldn't Be Solved: How Mathematical Genius Discovered the Language of Symmetry", Simon & Schuster, 2005, p. 58–61; Derbyshire 2006, p. 31–41; Corry, "A Brief History of Numbers", Oxford University Press, 2015, p. 71 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Diophantus" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Christianidis Oaks 2023, p. 4-6; Christianidis Oaks 2023, p. 4-6 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Diophantus" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Dictionary of World Biography", Salem Press, 1998, p. 362; Sesiano 2012; Sesiano 2012 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Diophantus" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Christianidis Oaks 2023, p. 4-6 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Diophantus" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Christianidis Oaks 2023, p. 4-6; Christianidis Oaks 2013, p. 158-160 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Diophantus" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Katz, "Almost Equal: The Method of Adequality from Diophantus to Fermat and Beyond", Perspectives on Science, 2013, p. 283–324 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
Each numbered sentence above was checked against the source it cites before publication. Sentences citing Wikipedia adapt text from the English Wikipedia article Diophantus (contributors), used under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is available under the same licence. Other sources were used for facts only; no text or images are copied from them.
More in Notable Figures
Elsewhere in Historical Figures
Spotted an error? Know more?
Reader corrections go straight into our review queue. Suggest an edit · How this site is sourced