Roman Mathematics

• Roman Mathematics was entirely derived from Ancient Greek Mathematics and Ancient Greek Mathematicians.
• The Romans did not invent any new mathematics, instead their Engineers used simple mathematics to construct extraordinary works of Architechture.

1. The Roman Abacus

• • The Roman Abacus was a calculator based on the earlier Greek and Babylonian Abacus, except that it was portable and used Roman Numerals.
  • It enabled very rapid addition and subtraction, and more slowly, multiplication and division. It was used by Bankers, Merchants, Engineers and Government Officials.

2. Roman Numerals

• • The Roman Numeral System is a Decimal Number System which was used in Ancient Rome and continued until c.1300 CE, after which it was replaced by Arabic Numerals. The Romans had no zero.

3. Greek Mathematical Theorems

• • Thales Theorem (624-526 BCE)
  • Pythagoras' Theorem (c.570-c.495 BCE)
  • Euclidean Geometry (c.325-265 BCE)
  • Prime Numbers (c.325-265 BCE)
  • Bridge of asses Theorem (c.325-265 BCE)
  • Archimedes Principle (287-212 BCE)
  • Trigonometric Tables of Hipparchus (c.190-c.120 BCE)

4. Ancient Greek Mathematicians

• Thales (624-526 BCE)
  • Thales of Miletus was a Greek Mathematician and Astronomer and one of the Seven Sages of Greece.
  • He wrote a Work, ‘Astronomy’, written in verse, according to Plutarch. This was the first Greek Work on Astronomy. He developed the theory known as Thales Theorem.
• Pythagoras (c.570-c.495 BCE)
  • Pythagoras was a Greek Mathematician and Philosopher who invented Pythagoras' Theorem and founded the Philosophy of Pythagoreanism. His teachings influenced Socrates, Plato and Aristotle.
• Euclid (c.325-c.265 BCE)
  • Euclid was a Greek mathematician who lived and worked in Alexandria around 300 BCE.
  • His main work was ‘Elements’, which holds all the theories of Euclidean Geometry including a description of Prime Numbers and the Bridge of asses Theorem.
• Archimedes (287-212 BCE)
  • Archimedes was a Greek Inventor, Mathematician and Physicist born in Syracuse in Sicily. His father was Phidias the Astronomer.
  • He invented Archimedes Principle and is considered to be the greatest mathematician of Classical Antiquity.
• Hipparchus (c.190-c.120 BCE)
  • Hipparchus was a Greek Mathematician and Astronomer who is known as the ‘Father of Trigonometry’, because he compiled the first known Trigonometric Table. He used this to calculate the eccentricity of the Sun and Moon’s orbits.
  • He wrote a Work, the ‘Commentary on the Phaenomena (appearances) of Eudoxus and Aratus’, which showed how to calculate the rising and setting of the Constellations and the Milky Way.

5. Ptolemy: The Great Roman Mathematician and Astronomer

• Claudius Ptolemaeus (c.90-c.168 CE), known as Ptolemy, was a Greco-Roman Geographer, Mathematician, Astronomer and Astrologer who lived and worked in Alexandria, Egypt.
• He was able to study the Ancient Greek Astronomers and then produce his own Works. He is best known for:
  • Geographia, a Map of the known World.
  • The Almagest, a listing of all the Stars and Constellations, amongst other works.