The Influence of Greek Thought on Modern Science and Mathematics

The creations of Pythagoras were very powerful during the era in which he lived in. He created a community of followers (known as the Pythagoreans) who believed that mathematics was fundamental and ‘at the heart of reality’ (source 1). The people in the society were all proficient mathematicians took mathematics very seriously, to the extent that it was similar to a religion (source 1).

The Pythagorean School, for example, contributed many ideas to the mathematic community, among them, studies of geometry and the theory of proof.5 Euclid also lived in the time of ancient Greece and became a prominent mathematician, as well as author of a book about geometry called, The Elements, considered the second best-selling book of all time.6 The works of Pythagoras and Euclid have become fundamental building blocks for any person with an eighth-grade understanding mathematics. With these advancements, as well as innovations from Archimedes and Apollonius of Perga, Islamic scholars translated their works and contributed even more, growing the worldwide understanding of mathematics.7 Greek progressions in geometry as well as the theory of proof contributed greatly to our ultimate understanding of contemporary mathematics, without which, our modern society would be

With man and nature, there is seemingly a constant curiosity that of which compels many to contemplate questions and to ultimately seek answers for those questions. In modern day, man seeks science, logic, and mathematics to name a few in order to search for those compelling thoughts. However, it was seemingly not that easy in the era of the Ancient Greeks. The Ancient Greeks did feature mathematics, however, to explain natural phenomenon, there was not a reference to science and logic, and like other nations it was rather, mythology.

Around 2,500 years ago, Democritus and his partner Leucippus were the first ones to develop the atomic theory in written history. Their theory proposed that every kind of matter was made up of tiny particles, which were named atomos, which means that it is indivisible. This meant that Democritus and Leucippus thought there were little particles of everything, but, the next breakthrough in atomic theory wasn’t made until the early 1800s with a french chemist by the name of Antoine Lavoisier, he was the one who came up with the idea of the law of the conservation of mass, which states that matter stays the same even when it changes shape or form. Then, James Dalton said that all matter was made up of atoms, which were indivisible, and unbreakable.

He discovered the laws of planetary motion, explained how gravity works, and invented calculus, a new branch of mathematics that proved invaluable to modern scientists and mathematicians.

Democritus made the atomic theory widely known, which stated that the universe is composed of two elements: the atoms and the void in which these atoms exist and move. (More, 1646)

Democritus, an Ancient Greek philosopher, is widely considered to be the founding father of the Atomic Theory. Democritus proposed that matter is composed of atoms, which move through empty space. He also proposed that atoms are solid, homogeneous, indestructible, and indivisible, and that different types of atoms have different kinds of sizes and shapes, which determine the properties of matter. Democritus and other Greek philosophers Leucippus and Epicurus, were among the first to propose the size, shape, and connectivity of atoms. Democritus theorized that iron atoms are solid with hooks (which locked them in place with each other, therefore creating a solid), water ‘atoms’ are smooth and slippery, (which caused them to be in a liquid state),

Greek mathematics and science has dramatically evolved throughout history. Ancient Greece was the birthplace of science and the ideas and concepts impacted the culture and society. Interests in science were motivated by unscientific cultural interested and biases that arose from the language and opposing theories of the time. Ancient Greeks produced great advancements in mathematics and science that are still used today. Many ancient philosophers shaped the ideas and concepts of ancient Greece and its people.

Science and math are two very important fields that have experienced tremendous accomplishments throughout history. Both mathematics and the sciences help explain new information about the universe to mankind. Galileo Galilei was one of the most influential scientists who contributed to both fields. Galileo overcame the monstrous odds presented to him, and was able influence math and science exponentially. Although there have been many other influential scientists since the time of Galileo Galilei, Galileo was the most significant scientist because his work not only provided the basis for the telescope, as well as discoveries in mathematics and physics, but he also provided mankind with belief in a heliocentric solar system, by doing so, challenging

Mathematics, one of the most studied science in the world, has various impact on different areas of the field. Most of us will imagine mathematics’ influences are mainly on physics, engineering, and accounting. However, in the sixteenth century, after the European Renaissance, mathematics has huge influences on Europe’s economy, subjects like geometry and algebra allow us to find more efficient and safer trade route, as well as improvement financial transactions. Furthermore, during the scientific revolution in the sixteenth century, mathematics in Europe is used mainly in physics and astronomy (McKay et al., 556), which explains our false impression of mathematics. With many scholars concentrate their mathematics’ works in specific kinds of science (physics and astronomy), they never realize how important mathematics improved the economy during the sixteenth century.

Pythagoras was not only a mathematician; in fact it is sometimes doubted whether the math we attribute to him was actually his own work or simply reprocessing of the work of others. He was instead generally seen as a religious figure and was the leader of what is sometimes referred to as a “cult.” He was described as “part philosopher, part priest, and part conjuror” and had a lot of bearing in both the religious and scientific views of his time. He believed that religion and science were indeed one and the same, with math serving as a pathway for discovering the workings of the universe. This belief was controversial, and many philosophers referred to Pythagoras sarcastically, but it was a belief that would continue onward throughout Greek history in the minds of other philosophers, such as Aristotle. It was the basis for the interest in mathematics and astronomy, because he taught that by learning the movement of the heavenly bodies, or planets, humans would be able to find the formula for all movement in the universe and predict future events.

Pythagoras was an exceptional thinker who had a crucial impact on the field of mathematics. His unique ways of thinking and problem solving led to him creating a new theorem, entitled the Pythagorean Theorem, which significantly changed what was known about math. Although there are no known books written about or by Pythagoras from that time, he was influential in the math field and its expansion.

One famous mathmatician is Pythagoras. He was famous for geometry and with the work of triangles and angles. Many of the techniques used by Pythagoras are still used in geometry. He created the pythagoream therom in order to find the angle of the sides of a triangle. The formula for the pythagoreom theorm is a^2+b^2=c^2.

Jean-Pierre Vernant's book, "The Origins of Greek Thought," is a critical reassessment of a dominant historical trope for Western antiquity: that Greek philosophy amazingly materialized out of thin air after the Dorian Invasion. As an alternative to this popular idea, Vernant rationalizes the revolution of Greek thought as it pertains to the development of the polis (city), the development of philosophy, along with the idea that logic was developed by accompanying death of the monarchy and the birth of democracy. This paper will focus on the relationship between the emergence of the polis, the origin of rational thought (logic) and its connection to the Greeks. Vernant posits that the development and expansion of the polis is diametrically

Mathematics has contributed to the alteration of technology over many years. The most noticeable mathematical technology is the evolution of the abacus to the many variations of the calculator. Some people argue that the changes in technology have been for the better while others argue they have been for the worse. While this paper does not address specifically technology, this paper rather addresses influential persons in philosophy to the field of mathematics. In order to understand the impact of mathematics, this paper will delve into the three philosophers of the past who have contributed to this academic. In this paper, I will cover the views of three philosophers of mathematics encompassing their