Every circle has the property that the distance around it is just over three times the distance across. This has been “common knowledge” since the earliest times. But mathematicians do not trust common knowledge; they demand proof. Who was first to prove that all circles are similar, in the sense that the ratio of circumference … Continue reading Who First Proved that C / D is Constant?
Month: July 2017
Quadrivium: The Noble Fourfold Way
According to Plato, a core of mathematical knowledge – later known as the Quadrivium – was essential for an understanding of the Universe. The curriculum was outlined in Plato's Republic. The name Quadrivium means four ways, but this term was not used until the time of Boethius in the 6th century AD [see TM119 or search … Continue reading Quadrivium: The Noble Fourfold Way
Inertial Oscillations and Phugoid Flight
The English aviation pioneer Frederick Lanchester (1868--1946) introduced many important contributions to aerodynamics. He analysed the motion of an aircraft under various consitions of lift and drag. He introduced the term ``phugoid'' to describe aircraft motion in which the aircraft alternately climbs and descends, varying about straight and level flight. This is one of the … Continue reading Inertial Oscillations and Phugoid Flight
Robert Murphy, a “Brilliant Meteor”
“A brilliant meteor that flared intensely but all too briefly”; this was how Des MacHale described the Cork-born mathematician Robert Murphy in his biography of George Boole, first professor of mathematics in Cork. Murphy was a strong influence on Boole, who quoted liberally from his publications [see TM118 or search for “thatsmaths” at irishtimes.com]. Robert Murphy was … Continue reading Robert Murphy, a “Brilliant Meteor”
ThatsMaths 