Elements of Geometry (13 Volumes Full View)

Author: Euclid [Ancient Greece]
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-10-01
Features: The Elements is an immortal work by the Ancient Greek mathematician Euclid, compiling the entire achievements and spirit of Ancient Greek mathematics into one book. It is not only a monumental mathematical work but also a monumental philosophical work, and it secondly completed humanity's understanding of space. Since its publication, it has undergone numerous translations and revisions over more than 2,000 years. After the first printed edition in 1482, there have been over 1,000 different versions to this day. Except for the Bible, no other work has been studied, used, and spread as widely as The Elements. The earliest translation into Chinese was completed by the Italian missionary Matteo Ricci and the Ming Dynasty scientist Xu Guangqi in 1607, but they only translated the first six books. It was this incomplete version that laid the foundation for the basic terminology of modern Chinese mathematics, such as triangle, angle, right angle, and so on. Countries like Japan and India in the East adopted the Chinese translation method and have continued to use it to this day. In the past century, although middle school textbooks in mainland China have necessarily mentioned this great work, Chinese readers have been fortunate enough to see its entirety, let alone include it in their home libraries. Xu Guangqi held the book in high regard when translating it, saying, "Those who master this book can master anything; those who study this book can study anything." The founding father of modern science, Albert Einstein, also believed: "If Euclid did not inspire your scientific passion in your youth, you are definitely not a genius in science." As can be seen from this, the influence of The Elements on people's ability to reason logically, i.e., on scientific thinking, is truly immense.