Diophantus of Alexandria

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(probably third century B.C.). Ancient Greek mathematician.

Part of Diophantus’ mathematical treatise Arithmetica has been preserved (six books out of 13), in which solutions are given for problems most of which reduce to indeterminate equations of up to the fourth degree. A solution is sought in rational positive numbers (negative numbers do not occur in Diophantus’ works). Diophantus used an abbreviated notation of words to designate an unknown and its powers and the equals sign. He provided skilled solutions of algebraic and theoretical numerical problems without providing general methods of solution. His works were a starting point for investigations by P. de Fermat, L. Euler, K. Gauss, and other mathematicians.

REFERENCE

Kol’man, E. Istoriia matematiki v drevnosti. Moscow, 1961.

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No references found			These equations are named for the mathematician Diophantus of Alexandria, who discussed such problems in his book Arithmetica. The 2500-Year-Old Pythagorean Theorem by Brain Haley / Reference and Education community Nearly 2,000 years ago, for instance, Diophantus of Alexandria observed in his book Arithmetica that 65 can be written in two different ways as the sum of two squares: [4. Surprisingly Square by PETERSON, IVARS / Science News			Dionysian Dionysios Solomos Dionysios the Philosopher, Rebellion of 1611 Dionysius Dionysius Exiguus Dionysius I Dionysius Kokinos Dionysius of Halicarnassus Dionysius Periegetes Dionysius the Areopagite Dionysius the Areopagite, Saint Dionysius the Elder Dionysius the Younger Dionysius Thrax Dionysus Dionyza Diop, Birago Diop, Birago Ismael Diop, David diophantine analysis Diophantine Approximations Diophantine equation Diophantine Equations Diophantos Diophantus Diophantus of Alexandria Diopsidae Diopside Dioptase Diopter dioptometer dioptre dioptric Dioptrics Dioptrimeter Dior Dior, Christian Diorama diorchism Diordiev, Evgenii Diordiev, Evgenii Iakovlevich Diori, Hamani Diorite Dioscorea Dioscoreaceae Dioscorides, Pedanius Dioscuri Dioscurias Diospyros Diotima Diouf, Abdou			Dionysus Dionysus Dendrites Dionysus Dendrites Dionysus the Areopagite Dionysus the Areopagite Dionysus, Dionysus, Dionyza dioon Dioon edule Diop Diop, Birago Diop, Birago Ismael Diop, David Diopecephalus Diophantine Diophantine analysis Diophantine analysis Diophantine approximation Diophantine approximations Diophantine equation Diophantine equation Diophantine equations Diophantine equations Diophantine geometry Diophantine geometry Diophantos Diophantos Diophantus Diophantus Diophantus of Alexandria Diopian Inquiry and Research on Education as Culture Transmission Diopocephalus DIOPS Diopsidae diopside diopside Dioptase Dioptase diopter diopter diopter diopter diopter diopter diopter magnification Diopters Diopters Diopters dioptometer dioptometer dioptometer dioptometry dioptometry dioptometry dioptral dioptral dioptral Dioptre Dioptre Dioptre

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