Archimedes

Biography

Archimedes was born in Syracuse on the island of Sicily, presumably into an astronomer's family. He studied in Alexandria, where he became acquainted with the works of Euclid. Returning to Syracuse, he devoted himself to science, creating mechanisms and mathematical theories. During the siege of Syracuse by the Romans, he led the defense, using war machines. He was killed by a Roman soldier. His works have come down to us in the form of treatises: “On the Sphere and Cylinder,” “On Floating Bodies,” and others.

Key discoveries

• Archimedes' principle: a body immersed in a fluid or gas experiences a buoyant force equal to the weight of the displaced medium.
• The method of exhaustion for calculating areas and volumes of curved figures, anticipating integral calculus.
• The lever principle, systems of pulleys, and the endless screw (Archimedes' screw) for raising water.
• Accurate approximation of the number π and quadrature of the parabola.