Numbers, magnitudes, ratios, and proportions in Euclid's \textit{Elements}: How did he handle them? (Q674565): Difference between revisions

In his paper the author examines the credentials and verisimilitude of geometric algebra as an interpretation of Euclid's elements. First, he summarizes the main objections, and introduces three categories of algebraization which refine considerably the clarity of the positions on each side of the dispute. Then he states three features of the Elements which seem to deserve a central place in the discussion. The main purpose of his article is to present, in a manner convenient for fellow nonspecialists in Greek mathematics, a general answer to the questions posed by the title: the quantities and propositions with which Euclid works, and the manner in which he handles them. He develops his interpretation in Section 4-9. Finally, the general methodological questions are reviewed, using, in Section 11, four examples from the disputed literature.