Archimedes' dimension of the circle: a view of the genesis of the extant text (Q1074566)

The author reconstructs the version of Archimedes' ``Dimension of the Circle'' available in the fourth century a.d. (labelled \(A^*)\) on the basis of comments of Pappus in his ``Collection'' (labelled P) and of Theon in his commentary on Ptolemy's ``Almagest'', Book I (labelled T) and Book VI (labelled S). Comparing P, T, S, the reconstructed \(A^*\), and certain other pertinent works with the extant version of ``Dimension of the Circle'', (labelled DC), he argues that DC is dependent on T either directly or via an intermediary, and thus was compiled after the mid- fourth century, but before the mid-fifth century when Proclus cited it as supplying Archimedes' version of the theorem for the area of the circle. The author uses his reconstructed \(A^*\) as evidence with regard to the nature of a proportion theory that preceded that of Euclid's ``Elements'', Book V, a subject discussed by him in previous articles. He also argues that the extant version of Archimedes ``Sphere and Cylinder'' (labelled SC) reflects later editing, possibly by the same person who produced DC, a person as yet unidentified, working in the first half of the fifth century, who may have compiled DC as an appendix to a revised SC.