Abstract
This paper is a discussion of Ptolemy's use of mathematical tables in the Almagest. By focusing on Ptolemy's mathematical practice and terminology, I argue that Ptolemy used tables as part of an organized group of units of text, which I call the table nexus. In the context of this deductive structure, tables function in the Almagest in much the same way as theorems in a canonical work, such as the Elements, both as means of presenting acquired knowledge and as tools for producing further knowledge.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 13-37 |
Number of pages | 25 |
Journal | Historia Mathematica |
Volume | 41 |
Issue number | 1 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 2014 Feb 1 |
Keywords
- Almagest
- Greek astronomy
- Greek mathematics
- Mathematical functions
- Mathematical tables
- Ptolemy
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Mathematics(all)
- History