What did Eratosthenes do for mathematics?

What did Eratosthenes do for mathematics?

Contributions to Mathematics One of the most remarkable things done by Eratosthenes included his effort to calculate the Earth’s circumference without leaving the comfortable perimeters of Egypt. Eratosthenes also discovered an algorithm to determine prime numbers which is known as the Sieve of Eratosthenes.

What is Eratosthenes most famous for doing?

Eratosthenes, in full Eratosthenes of Cyrene, (born c. 276 bce, Cyrene, Libya—died c. 194 bce, Alexandria, Egypt), Greek scientific writer, astronomer, and poet, who made the first measurement of the size of Earth for which any details are known.

What formula did Eratosthenes use?

Eratosthenes divided 360° by 7.2° and got 50, which told him that the distance between Alexandria and Syene (500 miles) was 1/50 of the total distance around the Earth. So he multiplied 500 by 50 to arrive at his estimate of the Earth’s circumference: 25,000 miles.

What did Eratosthenes find by his calculation?

If we accept the account of Strabo that Eratosthenes measured the circumference of the earth as 252,000 stadia, the circumference would be 24,662 miles, and the polar diameter 7,850 miles-only 50 miles short of the true polar diameter. This is considered to be one of the first great triumphs of scientific calculation.

What was Eratosthenes famous mathematical figure?

Eratosthenes was a Greek mathematician who is famous for his work on prime numbers and for measuring the diameter of the earth.

What contributions did Eratosthenes make to science?

Eratosthenes devised a system of latitude and longitude, and a calendar that included leap years. He invented the armillary sphere, a mechanical device used by early astronomers to demonstrate and predict the apparent motions of the stars in the sky.

How did Eratosthenes figure out that the Earth was round?

Eratosthenes hired a man to pace the distance between the two cities and learned they were 5,000 stadia apart, which is about 800 kilometers. He could then use simple proportions to find the Earth’s circumference — 7.2 degrees is 1/50 of 360 degrees, so 800 times 50 equals 40,000 kilometers.

How did Eratosthenes measure distance?

Eratosthenes estimated the distance from Alexandria to Syene as 5,000 stadia, or about 500 miles (800 kilometers). He made this estimation from the time it took walkers, who were trained to measure distances by taking regular strides, to trek between the cities.

What is the meaning of Eratosthenes?

Eratosthenes Add to list Share. Definitions of Eratosthenes. Greek mathematician and astronomer who estimated the circumference of the earth and the distances to the Moon and sun (276-194 BC) example of: astronomer, stargazer, uranologist. a physicist who studies astronomy.

What did Eratosthenes study in school?

Lived c. 276 BC – c. 194 BC. Cyrene, then a Greek city, is now the town of Shahhat in Libya. Eratosthenes was educated in philosophy and mathematics in Athens.