Modernizing Archimedes' Construction of \pi

arXiv2009.06752MaRDI QIDQ6349092FDOQ6349092

Authors: David Weisbart 

Publication date: 14 September 2020

Abstract: In his famous work, "Measurement of a Circle," Archimedes described a procedure for measuring both the circumference of a circle and the area it bounds. Implicit in his work is the idea that his procedure defines these quantities. Modern approaches for defining $pi$ eschew his method and instead use arguments that are easier to justify, but they involve ideas that are not elementary. This paper makes Archimedes' measurement procedure rigorous from a modern perspective. In so doing, it brings a rigorous and geometric treatment of the differential properties of the trigonometric functions into the purview of an introductory calculus course.

Mathematics Subject Classification ID

Euclidean analytic geometry (51N20) History of geometry (51-03)

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