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The Area and the Side I Added: Some old Babylonian Geometry

Duncan J. Melville

Revue d'histoire des mathématiques (2005)

  • Volume: 11, Issue: 1, page 7-22
  • ISSN: 1262-022X

Abstract

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There was a standard procedure in Mesopotamia for solving quadratic problems involving lengths and areas of squares. In this paper, we show, by means of an example from Susa, how area constants were used to reduce problems involving other geometrical figures to the standard form.

How to cite

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J. Melville, Duncan. "The Area and the Side I Added: Some old Babylonian Geometry." Revue d'histoire des mathématiques 11.1 (2005): 7-22. <http://eudml.org/doc/252122>.

@article{J2005,
abstract = {There was a standard procedure in Mesopotamia for solving quadratic problems involving lengths and areas of squares. In this paper, we show, by means of an example from Susa, how area constants were used to reduce problems involving other geometrical figures to the standard form.},
author = {J. Melville, Duncan},
journal = {Revue d'histoire des mathématiques},
keywords = {old Babylonian; Susa; area constants; apsamikkum},
language = {eng},
number = {1},
pages = {7-22},
publisher = {Société mathématique de France},
title = {The Area and the Side I Added: Some old Babylonian Geometry},
url = {http://eudml.org/doc/252122},
volume = {11},
year = {2005},
}

TY - JOUR
AU - J. Melville, Duncan
TI - The Area and the Side I Added: Some old Babylonian Geometry
JO - Revue d'histoire des mathématiques
PY - 2005
PB - Société mathématique de France
VL - 11
IS - 1
SP - 7
EP - 22
AB - There was a standard procedure in Mesopotamia for solving quadratic problems involving lengths and areas of squares. In this paper, we show, by means of an example from Susa, how area constants were used to reduce problems involving other geometrical figures to the standard form.
LA - eng
KW - old Babylonian; Susa; area constants; apsamikkum
UR - http://eudml.org/doc/252122
ER -

References

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  18. [18] E. Robson, “Three Old Babylonian methods for dealing with ‘Pythagorean’ triangles”, J. Cuneiform Studies 49 (1997), p. 51-72 
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