tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1918995924244969903.post7443747642870054360..comments2024-03-25T08:41:57.698+13:00Comments on Kiwi Hellenist: Pi DayPeter Gainsfordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17448862214081111386noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1918995924244969903.post-39920345140954351582017-03-26T20:18:35.426+13:002017-03-26T20:18:35.426+13:00Thanks again Peter! Yep, it's been a while... ...Thanks again Peter! Yep, it's been a while... hope all is well with you. Would be great if you could come, it's the 4th of April, 6pm, Hunter building. Cheers -<br />-- NoamErlkoenighttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12003295977825280784noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1918995924244969903.post-89828745424434649732017-03-21T00:01:09.741+13:002017-03-21T00:01:09.741+13:00Noam! It's been a while, hasn't it? Good t...Noam! It's been a while, hasn't it? Good to hear of your impending inaugural. Yes, I'd love to come!<br /><br />Archimedes' "almost inventing calculus" is a reference to his work with infinitesimals, using the "method of exhaustion" (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Method_of_exhaustion). The polygon method I mentioned above is an example of the principle. You Peter Gainsfordhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17448862214081111386noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1918995924244969903.post-9541189761705554672017-03-20T20:24:28.672+13:002017-03-20T20:24:28.672+13:00Very interesting Peter!
Among mathematicians, Ar...Very interesting Peter! <br /><br />Among mathematicians, Archimedes is definitely considered a giant who was ahead of his time. I've heard several times that he "almost invented calculus". I'm not sure what this really means.<br /><br />Another question (for my upcoming inaugural talk, perhaps you'd like to come?) -- is the history of the liar paradox given in https://Erlkoenighttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12003295977825280784noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1918995924244969903.post-23102571027219726722017-03-20T10:16:53.367+13:002017-03-20T10:16:53.367+13:00Certainly true - I just wasn't going to be too...Certainly true - I just wasn't going to be too picky about that. (But in fact there are some fields where it /is/ customary to refer to a year zero! In archaeoastronomy, for example: so 0 = 1 BCE, -1 = 2 BCE, -2 = 3 BCE, etc. I've seen confusion arise from that convention more than once...)Peter Gainsfordhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17448862214081111386noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1918995924244969903.post-54230055488950482862017-03-18T03:50:22.285+13:002017-03-18T03:50:22.285+13:00Not to mention that John Conway's comment abou...Not to mention that John Conway's comment about 'year zero' shows a certain lack of understanding about the difference between numbers in maths and in chronology.David J. Colwillhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00936595519854071302noreply@blogger.com