ancient Greek scientist Archimedes was the inventor, mathematician, designer, engineer, physicist, astronomer and mechanic.He established such a direction as mathematical physics.Also, researchers have developed ways of finding the volumes, surface areas, and various bodies and figures, anticipating the integral calculus.He is the author of many inventions.The name of the scientist responsible for the appearance of the laws of the lever, the introduction of the term "center of gravity" and research in the field of hydrostatic.When the Romans attacked Syracuse, organization of engineering defense of the city was engaged in Archimedes.
In times of high technology and scientific discoveries we are accustomed to perceive the achievement as something ordinary, forgetting that the existing knowledge bases were laid by ancient scholars.They were pioneers.And so in general Archimedes of Syracuse was a genius.After all, he confirmed most of their own ideas into practice.Our contemporaries successfully use them at work, even though they do not know who their author.Biography Archimedes reached our days only from legends and memories.We invite you to see it.
Childhood and education
Archimedes, a short biography which will be presented below, was born in the city of Syracuse around 287 BC.e.His childhood coincided with the period when King Pyrrhus waged war with the Carthaginians and Romans, trying to create a new Greek state of the sample.Especially distinguished in this war Hiero - a relative of Archimedes, who became the ruler of Syracuse.Phidias (the boy's father) was the approximate Hieron.This enabled him to give a good education to Archimedes.But the young man did not have enough theoretical knowledge, and he went to Alexandria, which was at the time the scientific center.There Ptolemies - the rulers of Egypt - were collected by the best Greek scholars and thinkers of the time.Also in Alexandria it was the world's largest library, where Archimedes has long studied mathematics and the works of Eudoxus, Democritus, etc.In those years, the future researcher befriended astronomer Conon, mathematician and geographer Eratosthenes.Then he led them part of the correspondence.
first profession
After studying Archimedes, a brief biography is known to all scientists, he returned to Syracuse and inherited the position of Phidias - the court astronomer.Thanks Hiero arrived in the city during peacetime.To get out of participation in the First Punic War, Rome, he paid a huge indemnity.In the "General History" Polybius described it this way: "Hiero came to power, with neither fame nor wealth, nor any gifts of fate.He did not hurt, did not cast out, not kill, but the rules as much as '54 ... "Yet Hiero, as well as his successors, treated with great attention to strengthening the city in preparation for possible military clashes.
Proceedings
Position astronomer was burdensome, and Archimedes was free to engage in other activities.In relation to its theoretical studies were multifaceted.The first works were devoted to the mechanics of Archimedes.He relied on it, and in some mathematical works.For example, the researcher applied the principle of the lever for the solution of several geometric problems.Made mathematical conclusions he outlined in his work "On the equilibrium of plane figures."The work of the scientist has become the cornerstone "parabola quadrature" (integral calculus), which will open in 2000 years.And in the book "On the measurement range," the researchers calculated the ratio of the diameter of a circle to its length, or, in other words, the number pi (3.14).In addition, all still use their system invented names integers.
Scientific achievements
Biography Archimedes describes two of his most significant scientific achievements: the doctrine of the center of gravity and the formulation of the principle of the lever.He also laid the foundations of hydrostatics.Only in the late 16th and early 17th century, these ideas were developed Pascal, Galileo, Stevin and other scientists who used the Archimedes' principle, he described in his work "On Floating Bodies."This work was the first attempt to test in practice the fundamental assumptions about the structure of matter by creating the model.Archimedes proved not only several major provisions on the physical characteristics of the atoms of the liquid, but also confirmed a series of atomistic ideas of Democritus.In this work the researcher scientific genius manifested itself with particular force.His results could be proved only in the 19th century.
Other studies
As the biography of Archimedes, except mechanics, physics and mathematics, he was engaged in meteorological and geometric optics.Also, the scientist conducted a series of experiments on the refraction of light.There is ample evidence that Archimedes wrote a great essay - "Catoptrics," but, unfortunately, it has not been preserved.On the basis of the remaining quotations from it may be assumed that the researcher knew about the incendiary effect of the concave lens, experiments on the refraction of light in the water and air environments, and had understanding of the properties of the images in a concave, convex and flat mirrors.In addition to quotes, survived only one theorem proves that the reflection of the light beam from the mirror angle of incidence equals the angle of reflection.
Defense Syracuse
Discovery of Archimedes in the field of engineering brought him the most fame, which crossed the borders of not only countries, but also centuries.Vividly his engineering genius manifested itself in 214 BC.e.his relatives in the siege of Syracuse.Archimedes into his seventh decade.It was one of the greatest triumphs in the life of a scientist.There he distinguished himself not only as an inventor but as a great builder.Everyone knows that the ancient structures consist of solid walls.Archimedes mounted in their loopholes and loopholes designed for middle and lower bout.He created in peacetime, combat vehicles allowed to defend Syracuse from the attack of the Romans for three years.
last years
As you can see, the scientific life of Archimedes was bright and saturated.In recent years, he was involved in computationally astronomical activities.Livy (Roman writer) called him "one of a kind observer of the stars and the sky."Although not extant no astronomical works of Archimedes, you can not doubt the authenticity of this characteristic.About employment in this activity and indicate he created the story of the celestial sphere, and the essay "The Sand Reckoner", where scientists are trying to count the number of grains of sand in the universe.
In his work the researcher is a moment that can be classified as "discovery of Archimedes."The first scientist in the history of science compared the two systems of the world - the heliocentric and geocentric.Archimedes wrote: "Most astronomers believe that the world is - a ball signed between the centers of the Earth and the sun."Thus, he was aware of the dimensions of the world and understood that he is finite.This allowed the researchers to bring their calculations to the end.
Conclusion This ends the biography of Archimedes.He appeared in front of us as an engineer, researcher, theorist and popularizer of science.The combination of practical thinking with mathematical talent and organizational skills were a rarity at the time.In the history of science Archimedes came as a shining example of a researcher who was able to harmoniously combine theory with practice.Undoubtedly, it is an exemplary scholar, from which it is necessary to take an example to other generations of researchers.The proposed mathematical physicist Archimedes was not seriously perceived nor his descendants, nor scholars of the Middle Ages.When thinking about the researchers, ahead of time, Archimedes was a champion among them.Only in the 16-17 century European mathematicians were able to realize the importance and significance of his scientific contributions.Since then, the Greek scholar had many followers and enthusiasts, burning with the desire to prove their own theory of specific gains.And now, in the memory of the genius scientists who made the discovery, repeated the same cry that Archimedes: "Eureka!I found".
