Archimedes

A scholarly study combines a biographical sketch of a celebrated ancient scientific thinker with a close exposition of his surviving writings and methods. It traces the Greek geometric background that shaped his work, analyzes major treatises on circles, conoids and spheroids, and details techniques equivalent to summation and exhaustion used to determine areas and volumes. Separate chapters examine a large numerical treatise, his contributions to mechanics, and his work in hydrostatics, while appended bibliographic references and a concise chronology help orient readers and suggest avenues for further study.