M The Mathematicall Praeface to Elements of Geometrie of Euclid of Megara John Dee

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The Mathematicall Praeface to Elements of Geometrie of Euclid of Megara

by John Dee

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Pages: 64

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About this book

John Dee sets out to explain what mathematics can offer both the student of philosophy and the person seeking practical results. Written as a preface to Euclid's geometry, his discussion presents the mathematical arts as a branching tree, with each part serving a purpose. The opening draws on Plato and Aristotle to consider why teachers should explain the aims of their subject before leading students into it.

The argument brings religious reflection into contact with questions of number, weight and measure. Dee turns to conclusions drawn from Archimedes about bodies floating or sinking in liquids, then challenges accepted ideas about the motion of heavy and light objects. Readers interested in the history of mathematical thought can see how ancient authorities, physical examples and an appeal for wider learning meet in a text whose spelling preserves an earlier form of English.