History of Mathematics: The Foundation of Geometry
One of the most influential mathematicians in history is Euclid, often referred to as the “Father of Geometry.” He lived around 300 BCE in Alexandria, Egypt, and his most famous work is a collection of books called The Elements. In this work, Euclid organized and systematically presented all the known mathematics of his time using deductive reasoning, starting from a small set of definitions and building up to more complex theorems.
Many of the geometric principles we use today, including those about circles, angles, and reasoning, can be traced back to Euclid’s work. For example, Euclid’s approach laid the foundation for the circle theorems we study now, such as the relationship between angles and arcs in a circle and the properties of chords and tangents just like what I learnt in Unit 4
What’s especially impressive is that Euclid’s method of deductive reasoning continues to be a central part of mathematics education today. His influence has spread across cultures and centuries from ancient Greece to the Islamic Golden Age, and eventually to modern Europe and the rest of the world.
Legacy
Learning about Euclid helped me appreciate how math isn’t just a set of rules, but a carefully developed system of logic and reasoning. It’s interesting to see how ideas from over 2,000 years ago still shape the way we learn and understand mathematics now.
Contact me at parveen.jahangir.18228@wellspringsaigon.edu.vn