-
Essay / Archimedes: One of the Greatest Mathematical Geniuses
ArchimedesArchimedes was one of the greatest mathematical geniuses this world has ever seen. Many of his inventions and ideas still play a role in the world we live in today. Archimedes was the son of an astronomer and mathematician named Phidias. He was born in the city of Syracuse, on the island of Sicily, in 287 BC. Syracuse was a focal point for art and science which had a strong influence on the maturing Archimedes. As he grew up, he quickly became obsessed with the curiosity of solving problems. After learning as much as he could in Syracuse, Archimedes traveled to Alexandria in Egypt to study for many years. He then returned with a solid education to push his limits and study independently. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why violent video games should not be banned”?Get the original essay Archimedes predicted modern calculus and analysis using the concepts of infinitesimals and the method of exhaustion to derive and prove a range of geometric theorems. This included the area of a circle, the surface area and volume of a sphere, and the area under a parabola. He also obtained an accurate estimate of pi, creating a system using exponentiation to express very large numbers. He was also one of the first to apply mathematics to the physical world. He used his strong mathematical skills to become a pioneer in the world of physics. During Archimedes' life, he accomplished many feats and used his strong mind to help his people. His king, Hiero II, loved him very much and recognized his problem-solving skills. Archimedes helped him many times throughout his life. One such story tells how King Hiero was unable to drain rainwater from the hull of one of his ships. The king called on Archimedes to help him. Archimedes' solution was to create a machine consisting of a hollow tube containing a spiral that could be turned by a handle at one end. When the lower end of the tube was placed in the hull and the handle turned, water was carried up the tube and out of the boat. The Archimedes screw is still used as an irrigation method in developing countries. Another story tells how King Hiero called upon Archimedes to determine whether a crown a blacksmith had made for him was entirely gold or whether silver had been used in it. This was not a daunting task for Archimedes until the king asked him to solve it without harming the crown. It took Archimedes a while to find a way to determine the material used until one day when he sat in his bath and saw the water rising, he shouted "Eureka!" He realized he could determine the material by placing the crown in water and determining the displacement. He then proceeded to jump out of his bath and run naked through the streets to find out what the crown was made of. Keep in mind: this is just a sample. Get a personalized paper now from our expert writers. Get a Custom Essay Archimedes not only served the king but also his people. Syracuse had long been attacked by the Romans in its old age. Archimedes developed many clever ways to defend his people with inventions used to shoot down and sink Roman ships. Eventually, after many years, the Romans finally invaded the city. A soldier had found Archimedes and asked him to see his commander. Archimedes refused saying he was working on a difficult problem and the soldier killed the 75-year-old man in anger. Archimedes..