Search results
- In the 5th century BC, the philosopher Hippasus discovered that some numbers could not be expressed as a ratio of two different numbers, and thus were irrational. This discovery contradicted the Pythagorean belief that everything could be understood through numbers, and as a result, Hippasus was killed by the Pythagoreans.
www.scienceabc.com › pure-sciences › how-irrational-numbers-discovered-mathematician-killed-hippasus
People also ask
Why did Hippasus die?
Why was Hippasus killed by the Pythagoreans?
Who was Hippasus and what did he do?
Where did Hippasus live?
Hippasus of Metapontum ( / ˈhɪpəsəs /; Greek: Ἵππασος ὁ Μεταποντῖνος, Híppasos; c. 530 – c. 450 BC) [1] was a Greek philosopher and early follower of Pythagoras. [2] [3] Little is known about his life or his beliefs, but he is sometimes credited with the discovery of the existence of irrational numbers.
Oct 19, 2023 · In the 5th century BC, the philosopher Hippasus discovered that some numbers could not be expressed as a ratio of two different numbers, and thus were irrational. This discovery contradicted the Pythagorean belief that everything could be understood through numbers, and as a result, Hippasus was killed by the Pythagoreans.
- 4 min
Hippasus of Metapontum was a Greek philosopher and mathematician who lived in the 5th century BCE. He was a member of the Pythagorean school of thought and is remembered for his contributions to the fields of mathematics and philosophy.
Feb 23, 2005 · The discoveries might be as early as Hippasus in the middle of the fifth century, who is associated with a group of Pythagoreans known as the mathematici, who arose after Pythagoras’ death (see below). The crucial point to note is that Eudemus does not assign these discoveries to Pythagoras himself.
Apr 19, 2024 · Hippasus of Metapontum (flourished c. 500 bc) was a philosopher and an early follower of Pythagoras. He was coupled by Aristotle with Heraclitus in identifying fire as the first element in the universe. Some traditions say that he was drowned after revealing a mathematical secret of the Pythagorean brotherhood.
- The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Hippassus of Metapontum, a Greek philosopher of the Pythagorean school of thought, is widely regarded as the first person to recognize the existence of irrational numbers. Supposedly, he tried to use his teacher's famous theorem a^ {2}+b^ {2}= c^ {2} a2 + b2 = c2 to find the length of the diagonal of a unit square.
Hippasus of Metapontum, a Greek mathematician and philosopher, who probably lived in the late 5 th century BC, is widely believed to have been the first to discover irrational numbers, and to have died for achievement, either as divine retribution by the Gods, or put to death by his fellow Pythagoreans.
