Leon Battista Alberti, De lunularum quadratura

Kim Williams (), Lionel March () and Stephen R. Wassell ()
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Kim Williams: Kim Williams Books
Lionel March: University of Cambridge, The Martin Centre
Stephen R. Wassell: Sweet Briar College, Dept. of Mathematical Sciences

A chapter in The Mathematical Works of Leon Battista Alberti, 2010, pp 201-212 from Springer

Abstract: Abstract The way of measuring a two-cusped2 figure composed of two curved lines as shown in the figure3 Contrary to the opinion of the many who say that figures composed of lines that are curved and circular cannot be squared perfectly, most of all of those that are portions of circles, they say this in my opinion by the authority of Aristotle, who says that quadratura circuli est scibilis, sed non scita quia est impotentia naturœ,4 squaring the circle is knowable though not found but it is in nature’ s power; and not being able to give the squaring of the circle perfectly, they argue that it is impossible to give the perfect squaring of figures made of curved lines first and foremost circular ones; since I have found the perfect squaring of the figure shown here, that is, a figure with two cusps in the shape of the moon marked AB, I say that if we had had careful investigators, then if squaring the circle is in nature’ s power, it is likewise in men’ s power. Thus to demonstrate the squaring of said figure AB, after first noting two propositions of Euclid pertaining to the declaration, I will tell the way it is done.

Keywords: Mathematical Work; Logical Error; Inscribe Circle; Distinguished Mathematician; Middle Space (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2010
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:spr:sprchp:978-3-0346-0474-1_5

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DOI: 10.1007/978-3-0346-0474-1_5

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