Archimedes, with a new bibliographic essay

by Eduard J. Dijksterhuis, C. Dikshoorn (Translator)

This classic study by the eminent Dutch historian of science E. J. Dijksterhuis (1892-1965) presents the work of the Greek mathematician and mechanical engineer to the modern reader. With meticulous scholarship, Dijksterhuis surveys the whole range of evidence on Archimedes' life and the 2000-year history of the manuscripts and editions of the text, and then undertakes a comprehensive examination of all the extant writings.

Originally published in 1987.

The Princeton Legacy Library uses the latest print-on-demand technology to again make available previously out-of-print books from the distinguished backlist of Princeton University Press. These editions preserve the original texts of these important books while presenting them in durable paperback and hardcover editions. The goal of the Princeton Legacy Library is to vastly increase access to the rich scholarly heritage found in the thousands of books published by Princeton University Press since its founding in 1905.

457 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1987

About the author

Eduard Jan Dijksterhuis was a Dutch historian of science. He studied mathematics at the University of Groningen from 1911 to 1918 and titled his Ph.D. thesis "A Contribution to the Knowledge of the Flat Helicoid." From 1916 to 1953 he was a professor and taught mathematics, physics and cosmography. He wrote about Archimedes in the late 1930s and early 1940s. He advocated changes in the way mathematics was taught to reinforce the formal characteristics of the discipline. In 1950, he was appointed as a member of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences. In 1953, he was appointed to teach the history of mathematics and the nature of science at Utrecht University and in 1955 at Leiden University. In 1962 he was awarded the Sarton Medal by the History of Science Society.