Lesson History of mathematics

Euclid (c. 300 BC)  

Euclid was one of the first great Greek mathematicians. In his classic "Elements," 

Euclid laid the framework for our formal understanding of geometry.  

While earlier Greek philosophers like the Pythagoreans investigated a number of 

mathematical problems, Euclid introduced the idea of rigorous proof: Starting with a 

handful of assumed axioms about the basic nature of points, lines, circles, and angles, 

Euclid builds up ever more complicated ideas in geometry by using pure deductive 

logic to combine insights from previous results to understand new ideas.  

This process of using rigorous proof to build new results out of existing results 

introduced in the "Elements" has remained perhaps the most central guiding principle 

of mathematics for over two millennia.