archimedes

Archimedes of Syracuse (c. 287–212 BCE) was an ancient Greek mathematician, physicist, engineer, inventor, and astronomer. He lived in Syracuse on the island of Sicily during the Hellenistic era, and his work bridged pure mathematics and practical invention. Known for foundational contributions to geometry, hydrostatics, and mechanics, Archimedes authored treatises and used geometric reasoning to solve problems of measurement and physical principle. His life is known primarily through later biographies and references.

Archimedes' principle states that a body submerged in a fluid experiences an upward buoyant force equal to the weight of the displaced fluid. This concept laid the foundations of hydrostatics. He designed devices to move water, notably the Archimedes screw, and advanced statics with the lever and pulley, famously asserting that a small force can move a large weight when applied at a distance. In geometry, he derived results for areas and volumes of spheres and cylinders, including that the volume of a sphere is two-thirds the volume of its circumscribing cylinder, and he used the method of exhaustion to approximate pi.

Archimedes' writings include On the Sphere and Cylinder, On Floating Bodies, and On the Measurement of a Circle. His methods influenced later mathematics and engineering, foreshadowing calculus through a combination of rigorous deductive reasoning and imaginative applications. He died during the siege of Syracuse (c. 212 BCE), reportedly killed by a Roman soldier despite orders for his sparing; legend holds that he was solving a geometric problem when interrupted. His legacy endures in science and engineering.