Fabio Acerbi
Dados Biográficos
| ID | 1015563 |
|---|---|
| NOME | Fabio Acerbi |
| PRENOMES | Fabio |
| SOBRENOME | Acerbi |
| ASSINATURA | ACERBI F |
| AFILIAÇÕES | Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique |
| ORCID | 0000-0003-1909-1275 |
| VERIFICADO | Sim |
| TOTAL DE OBRAS | 20 |
| TOTAL DE CITAÇÕES | 7 |
| TOTAL COMO AUTOR | 20 |
| TOTAL COMO EDITOR | 0 |
| PRIMEIRO ANO DE PUBLICAÇÃO | 2000 |
| ANO MAIS RECENTE DE PUBLICAÇÃO | 2026 |
| ÍNDICE H | 1 |
Once More (But Very Briefly) on Theaetetvs 147d–148b
Some features of the mathematical passage at Plato, Theaetetus 147 d –148 b, are presented; the ability of Theaetetus as a definition-maker is thereby assessed
Héron d’Alexandrie, La Dioptre , texte établi par Micheline Decorps-Foulquier et traduit par Jean-Yves Guillaumin, Collection des universités de France. Série grecque, 568, Paris, Les Belles Lettres, …
The Greek Mathematical Corpus
This paper assesses the Greek mathematical corpus as a whole using quantitative methods and discusses the methodological import of this approach. A number of dynamics within the corpus are also outlined. They corroborate the view that, in Greek antiquity, demonstrative and non-demonstrative mathematics belonged to one and the same universe of discourse
The Meaning of «ἑνὶ ὀνόματι» in the Sectio canonis
A new interpretation is proposed of the crucial expression «ἑνὶ ὀνόματι» (“in one name”) as applied to ratios of the musical concords in the preface of the Sectio canonis ascribed to Euclid. A link is also established with the name of one of the irrational lines introduced by Euclid in Elements 10. Past interpretations of the expression are discussed and shown to be inadequate. Published Online (2021-04-30)Copyright © 2021 by Fabio Acerbi Article…
Manuele Crisolora a Costantinopoli
The identification of a “new” handwriting of Manuel Chrysoloras allows to assign to him a number of hitherto unpublished witnesses, all preceding his teaching activity in Florence from 1397. This new dossier illustrates Chrysoloras’ youth in Constantinople, providing precious and so far unknown information on his family, his father John, his studies in the anti-Palamite milieux with Isaac Argyros and Demetrios Kydones, and, of course, his books, …
Tafelanhang
Mathematical Generality, Letter-Labels, and All That
This article focusses on the generality of the entities involved in a geometric proof of the kind found in ancient Greek treatises: it shows that the standard modern translation of Greek mathematical propositions falsifies crucial syntactical elements, and employs an incorrect conception of the denotative letters in a Greek geometric proof; epigraphic evidence is adduced to show that these denotative letters are ‘letter-labels’. On this basis, th…
Hellenistic Mathematics
The article analyses the forms and texts of Hellenistic mathematics. Three stylistic codes were employed in these texts, each related to a specific mathematical content: the demonstrative, the procedural, and the algorithmic code. Greek mathematical works, such as those by Apollonius of Perge, were not diffused through official channels, and instead were usually sent to some addressee, and were frequently preceded by a prefatory epistle, so each …
The Archimedes Palimpsest
Introduction: the Archimedes Palimpsest project William Noel Part I. The Manuscripts: Part II. History: 1. The making of the Euchologion Abigail Quandt 2. The strange and eventful history of the Archimedes Palimpsest John Lowden 3. Itinera Archimedea: on Heiberg in Constantinople and Archimedes in Copenhagen Erik Petersen Part III. Conservation: 4. Conserving the Archimedes Palimpsest Abigail Quandt Part IV. The Digital Palimpsest: 5. Imaging and…
Aristotle on Placing Gnomons Round ( Ph . 3.4, 203a10–15)
An abstract is not available for this content so a preview has been provided. Please use the Get access link above for information on how to access this content
Aristotle on Placing Gnomons Round ( Ph . 3.4, 203a10–15)
At Ph . 3.4, Aristotle begins his discussion of the Unlimited. As is customary with him, a preliminary to the investigation proper is set up: he presents and discusses other thinkers' opinions on the subject, from which to draw indications on the meaning—and possibly the existence—of the entity at issue. As for the question of what the Unlimited is, Aristotle points out that there is a complete agreement on two points: the Unlimited pertains to p…
Types, function, and organization of the collections of scholia
The aim of the contribution is to present the factual data about the main collections of scholia to the Greek mathematical treatises (Elements, Almagest, the so-called “little astronomy”), along with an analysis of their types, function, and organization within the textual space of the ancient codex. On the basis of these factual data, an assessment is provided of the extent to which these collections may provide a clear-cut answer to the long-st…
Aristotle and Euclid's Postulates
Book 1 of Euclid's Elements opens with a set of unproved assumptions: definitions (ὅροι), postulates, and ‘common notions’ (κοιναὶ ἔννοιαι). The common notions are general rules validating deductions that involve the relations of equality and congruence. The attested postulates are five in number, even if a part of the manuscript tradition adds a sixth, almost surely spurious (‘two straight lines do not contain a space’), that in some manuscripts…
Pappus, Aristote et le τόπος ἀναλυόμενος
The article discusses the possibility that the analytical corpus described by Pappus in Collectio VII had circulated in antiquity as a unitary whole, and suggests that Pappus himself could have been responsible of this transcription. To corroborate this thesis, Pappus’ stylistic and rhetorical strategies are analysed, that include a hiterto unnoticed quotation from Aristotle’s Topica. Quantitative considerations are developed substantiating the v…
Homeomeric Lines in Greek Mathematics
ArgumentThis article presents ancient documents on the subject of homeomeric lines. On the basis of such documents, the article reconstructs a definition of the notion as well as a proof of the result, which is left unproved in extant sources, that there are only three homeomeric lines: the straight line, the circumference, and the cylindrical helix. A point of particular historiographic interest is that homeomeric lines were the only class of li…
Two Approaches to Foundations in Greek Mathematics
ArgumentThis article is the sequel to an article published in the previous issue ofScience in Contextthat dealt with homeomeric lines (Acerbi 2010). The present article deals with foundational issues in Greek mathematics. It considers two key characters in the study of mathematical homeomery, namely, Apollonius and Geminus, and analyzes in detail their approaches to foundational themes as they are attested in ancient sources. The main historiogra…
Disjunction and conjunction in Euclid's elements
Nous présentons un aperçu des différentes façons dont les connecteurs disjonctifs et conjonctifs sont utilisés dans les Éléments. La présence d’ētoi prépositif dans les disjonctions exclusives permet de situer l’emploi de ce connecteur dans la droite ligne des prescriptions stoïciennes. La conjonction, en revanche, est formulée d’une manière assez variée, permettant d’éviter toutes sortes d’ambiguïtés. Nous abordons aussi le problème qui consiste…
Présentation
In What Proof Would a Geometer Use the Ποδια Ια
International audience
Plato
Aristotle and Euclid's Postulates
Book 1 of Euclid's Elements opens with a set of unproved assumptions: definitions (ὅροι), postulates, and ‘common notions’ (κοιναὶ ἔννοιαι). The common notions are general rules validating deductions that involve the relations of equality and congruence. The attested postulates are five in number, even if a part of the manuscript tradition adds a sixth, almost surely spurious (‘two straight lines do not contain a space’), that in some manuscripts…
Mathematical Generality, Letter-Labels, and All That
This article focusses on the generality of the entities involved in a geometric proof of the kind found in ancient Greek treatises: it shows that the standard modern translation of Greek mathematical propositions falsifies crucial syntactical elements, and employs an incorrect conception of the denotative letters in a Greek geometric proof; epigraphic evidence is adduced to show that these denotative letters are ‘letter-labels’. On this basis, th…
Aristotle on Placing Gnomons Round ( Ph . 3.4, 203a10–15)
At Ph . 3.4, Aristotle begins his discussion of the Unlimited. As is customary with him, a preliminary to the investigation proper is set up: he presents and discusses other thinkers' opinions on the subject, from which to draw indications on the meaning—and possibly the existence—of the entity at issue. As for the question of what the Unlimited is, Aristotle points out that there is a complete agreement on two points: the Unlimited pertains to p…
Homeomeric Lines in Greek Mathematics
ArgumentThis article presents ancient documents on the subject of homeomeric lines. On the basis of such documents, the article reconstructs a definition of the notion as well as a proof of the result, which is left unproved in extant sources, that there are only three homeomeric lines: the straight line, the circumference, and the cylindrical helix. A point of particular historiographic interest is that homeomeric lines were the only class of li…
In What Proof Would a Geometer Use the Ποδια Ια
International audience
Plato
Disjunction and conjunction in Euclid's elements
Nous présentons un aperçu des différentes façons dont les connecteurs disjonctifs et conjonctifs sont utilisés dans les Éléments. La présence d’ētoi prépositif dans les disjonctions exclusives permet de situer l’emploi de ce connecteur dans la droite ligne des prescriptions stoïciennes. La conjonction, en revanche, est formulée d’une manière assez variée, permettant d’éviter toutes sortes d’ambiguïtés. Nous abordons aussi le problème qui consiste…
Présentation
In What Proof Would a Geometer Use the Ποδια Ια
International audience
Homeomeric Lines in Greek Mathematics
ArgumentThis article presents ancient documents on the subject of homeomeric lines. On the basis of such documents, the article reconstructs a definition of the notion as well as a proof of the result, which is left unproved in extant sources, that there are only three homeomeric lines: the straight line, the circumference, and the cylindrical helix. A point of particular historiographic interest is that homeomeric lines were the only class of li…
Two Approaches to Foundations in Greek Mathematics
ArgumentThis article is the sequel to an article published in the previous issue ofScience in Contextthat dealt with homeomeric lines (Acerbi 2010). The present article deals with foundational issues in Greek mathematics. It considers two key characters in the study of mathematical homeomery, namely, Apollonius and Geminus, and analyzes in detail their approaches to foundational themes as they are attested in ancient sources. The main historiogra…
Pappus, Aristote et le τόπος ἀναλυόμενος
The article discusses the possibility that the analytical corpus described by Pappus in Collectio VII had circulated in antiquity as a unitary whole, and suggests that Pappus himself could have been responsible of this transcription. To corroborate this thesis, Pappus’ stylistic and rhetorical strategies are analysed, that include a hiterto unnoticed quotation from Aristotle’s Topica. Quantitative considerations are developed substantiating the v…
Aristotle and Euclid's Postulates
Book 1 of Euclid's Elements opens with a set of unproved assumptions: definitions (ὅροι), postulates, and ‘common notions’ (κοιναὶ ἔννοιαι). The common notions are general rules validating deductions that involve the relations of equality and congruence. The attested postulates are five in number, even if a part of the manuscript tradition adds a sixth, almost surely spurious (‘two straight lines do not contain a space’), that in some manuscripts…
Types, function, and organization of the collections of scholia
The aim of the contribution is to present the factual data about the main collections of scholia to the Greek mathematical treatises (Elements, Almagest, the so-called “little astronomy”), along with an analysis of their types, function, and organization within the textual space of the ancient codex. On the basis of these factual data, an assessment is provided of the extent to which these collections may provide a clear-cut answer to the long-st…
The Archimedes Palimpsest
Introduction: the Archimedes Palimpsest project William Noel Part I. The Manuscripts: Part II. History: 1. The making of the Euchologion Abigail Quandt 2. The strange and eventful history of the Archimedes Palimpsest John Lowden 3. Itinera Archimedea: on Heiberg in Constantinople and Archimedes in Copenhagen Erik Petersen Part III. Conservation: 4. Conserving the Archimedes Palimpsest Abigail Quandt Part IV. The Digital Palimpsest: 5. Imaging and…
Aristotle on Placing Gnomons Round ( Ph . 3.4, 203a10–15)
An abstract is not available for this content so a preview has been provided. Please use the Get access link above for information on how to access this content
Aristotle on Placing Gnomons Round ( Ph . 3.4, 203a10–15)
At Ph . 3.4, Aristotle begins his discussion of the Unlimited. As is customary with him, a preliminary to the investigation proper is set up: he presents and discusses other thinkers' opinions on the subject, from which to draw indications on the meaning—and possibly the existence—of the entity at issue. As for the question of what the Unlimited is, Aristotle points out that there is a complete agreement on two points: the Unlimited pertains to p…
Hellenistic Mathematics
The article analyses the forms and texts of Hellenistic mathematics. Three stylistic codes were employed in these texts, each related to a specific mathematical content: the demonstrative, the procedural, and the algorithmic code. Greek mathematical works, such as those by Apollonius of Perge, were not diffused through official channels, and instead were usually sent to some addressee, and were frequently preceded by a prefatory epistle, so each …
Mathematical Generality, Letter-Labels, and All That
This article focusses on the generality of the entities involved in a geometric proof of the kind found in ancient Greek treatises: it shows that the standard modern translation of Greek mathematical propositions falsifies crucial syntactical elements, and employs an incorrect conception of the denotative letters in a Greek geometric proof; epigraphic evidence is adduced to show that these denotative letters are ‘letter-labels’. On this basis, th…
The Meaning of «ἑνὶ ὀνόματι» in the Sectio canonis
A new interpretation is proposed of the crucial expression «ἑνὶ ὀνόματι» (“in one name”) as applied to ratios of the musical concords in the preface of the Sectio canonis ascribed to Euclid. A link is also established with the name of one of the irrational lines introduced by Euclid in Elements 10. Past interpretations of the expression are discussed and shown to be inadequate. Published Online (2021-04-30)Copyright © 2021 by Fabio Acerbi Article…
Manuele Crisolora a Costantinopoli
The identification of a “new” handwriting of Manuel Chrysoloras allows to assign to him a number of hitherto unpublished witnesses, all preceding his teaching activity in Florence from 1397. This new dossier illustrates Chrysoloras’ youth in Constantinople, providing precious and so far unknown information on his family, his father John, his studies in the anti-Palamite milieux with Isaac Argyros and Demetrios Kydones, and, of course, his books, …
Tafelanhang
The Greek Mathematical Corpus
This paper assesses the Greek mathematical corpus as a whole using quantitative methods and discusses the methodological import of this approach. A number of dynamics within the corpus are also outlined. They corroborate the view that, in Greek antiquity, demonstrative and non-demonstrative mathematics belonged to one and the same universe of discourse
Héron d’Alexandrie, La Dioptre , texte établi par Micheline Decorps-Foulquier et traduit par Jean-Yves Guillaumin, Collection des universités de France. Série grecque, 568, Paris, Les Belles Lettres, …
Once More (But Very Briefly) on Theaetetvs 147d–148b
Some features of the mathematical passage at Plato, Theaetetus 147 d –148 b, are presented; the ability of Theaetetus as a definition-maker is thereby assessed
Philosophy (15 obras) · Mathematics (10 obras) · Computer Science (9 obras) · History and Theory of Mathematics (8 obras) · Art (7 obras) · Classical Philosophy and Thought (7 obras) · Epistemology (7 obras) · Linguistics (7 obras) · Philosophy (7 obras) · Historical and Literary Studies (5 obras)