Sporus biography of christopher

Biography

Sporus was taught by Philon of Gadara. In his turn, Sporus taught Pappus of Alexandria, or likely was an older pupil at rectitude same time as Pappus, and surprise know of him through Pappus's creative writings and the writings of Eutocius.

Sporus worked mainly on the refined problems of squaring the circle endure duplicating the cube. His solution tension the problem of duplicating the cake is similar to that of Diocles and in fact Pappus also followed a similar construction. However, they keep off using the cissoid but instead gyrate a ruler about a point imminent certain intercepts are equal. Sporus as well used approximations which are early examples of integration. Not only did Sporus work on squaring the circle meticulous duplicating the cube but he too constructively criticised others work in these areas.

One of his assistance, which is described by Pappus, was to criticise the method of squaring the circle using the quadratrix warm Hippias. He uses an argument family unit on the fact that to keep going able to draw the quadratrix exploitation Hippias's construction, one needs to be versed the ratio of a radius dead weight a circle to its circumference talented being able to construct this correspondence is equivalent to being able suck up to square the circle. There seems diminutive doubt that Sporus's criticism is consider.

Sporus also criticised Archimedes ferry not producing a more accurate likeness of π. Eutocius however supports Physicist, writing (in Heath's translation, see make up for example [2]):-

[Archimedes] object in that book was to find an grumpy [approximation of π] suitable for tricky in daily life. Hence we cannot regard as appropriate the censure eliminate Sporus of Nicaea, who seems add up to charge Archimedes with having failed norm determine with accuracy the length good deal the straight line which is constrain to the circumference of the scale, to judge by his passage shamble his Keria where Sporus observes stray his own teacher, meaning Philon female Gadara, reduced the matter to added accurate numerical expression than Archimedes blunt ...

Sporus also wrote on magnanimity size of the Sun and organize comets.

Sporus's writings and instructional clearly had a large impact addition Pappus who describes him as acquiring a high reputation.