Abstract
Historians believe that the discovery of the irrationality of √2, or, as it would have been described in classical Greek mathematics, the incommensurability of the side and diagonal of a square, was made in the period 550–410 bc. None of the early sources, however, includes a proof of the theorem, so historians have found it a happy hunting ground for conjectures. This article is drawn from the monographs of Knorr and Fowler, and was put together to show how much history of early mathematics is from the minds of historians.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callMore From: BSHM Bulletin: Journal of the British Society for the History of Mathematics
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
