Mathematician:Eutocius of Ascalon

Mathematician

Palestinian philisopher about whom little is known. He wrote commentaries on works of Apollonius and Archimedes.

It is possible that Eutocius studied in Alexandria and became its head.

He appears to have produced nothing that is original, but if it wasn't for his work, the books on which he wrote his commentaries may not have survived the march of history.

Nationality

Palestinian

History

• Born: about 480, Ascalon, Syria Province, Byzantine Empire (now Ashqelon, Israel)
• Died: about 540

Publications

• A commentary on the first four books of Conics of Apollonius

• Commentaries on the following works by Archimedes:
  • The two books On the Sphere and Cylinder
  • Measurement of a Circle
  • The two books On Plane Equilibriums

• An introduction to Book $\text {I}$ of Almagest by Claudius Ptolemy

Sources

• John J. O'Connor and Edmund F. Robertson: "Eutocius of Ascalon": MacTutor History of Mathematics archive