[FOM] Are proofs in mathematics based on sufficient evidence?

[joeshipman@aol.com]

Although Euclid's conceptual world is somewhat alien to modern 
mathematicians, that of Archimedes is instantly recognizable as what we 
would call "rigorous mathematics". Of all the ancient mathematical 
writers, Archimedes is the one who speaks most directly to modern 
mathematicians, and his standards of rigor, professionalism, 
motivation, applicability, and presentation leave nothing to be 
desired. -- JS


-----Original Message-----
From: Michael Barany <michael.barany at tellurideassociation.org>

Monroe,

The paper that introduced me to this kind of historiography was a
somewhat obscure one by Jens Hoyrup called  "The formation of a myth:
Greek mathematics---our mathematics" from a bilingual volume from 1996
titled L'Europe mathematique / Mathematical Europe.  Catarina's
recommendation of Netz's volume is a good one,... it doesn't really
talk about how Greek geometry (and deduction in general) has been
rendered by Europeans, but it reconstructs a version of what might
count as its "original meaning" which appears quite alien to anyone
with a conventional present-day view of Euclid.