Conversations in Math Seminar: Discovery of the solution of the cubic equation in Sixteenth Century Italy
Conversations in Math Seminar
Discovery of the solution of the cubic equation in Sixteenth Century Italy
Dr. Gary Towsley
Distinguished Teaching Professor
SUNY Geneseo
Attendees will learn about the discovery of the solution of the cubic equation in sixteenth century, Italy.
Abstract:
Probably the first big mathematical event in Europe after the Middle Ages was the discovery of an algebraic solution of a cubic equation by Scipione del Ferro of the University of Bologna around the year 1515. This problem had been puzzled over for probably 4,000 years and was finally solved by a not very famous mathematician in Italy. Why did the discovery occur then and there? To give a tentative answer to this question we need to look at the beginnings of Arithmetic and Algebra in ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia, the effects of the discovery of irrationality of the square root of two in ancient Greece, the work of the Persian mathematician Omar Khayyam, and the state of mathematics in Europe from 1000 – 1500.
Intended Audience:
Undergraduates, graduates, and experts. Those with interest in the topic.
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Event Snapshot
When and Where
Who
Open to the Public
Interpreter Requested?
No