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Apollonius of Perga: Quick Facts

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Facts

Also Known As The Great Geometer
Born c.240 BCE • Perga • Anatolia
Died c.190 BCE • Alexandria • Egypt
Subjects Of Study conic section • planet • space motion

Photos

Diagram showing a double cone intersected by planes at different angles, producing the conic sections: a horizontal plane creates a circle, a tilted plane creates an ellipse, a plane parallel to the cone's side forms a parabola, and a steep plane produces a hyperbola. Each section is labeled, with the axis and apex of the cone indicated.
Map of the Greco-Roman world highlighting the birthplaces of notable ancient mathematicians, marked with the pi symbol and labeled with their names. Cities such as Athens, Alexandria, Syracuse, and Miletus are shown around the Mediterranean, with modern country boundaries outlined. An inset provides detail for the region of Greece and western Anatolia.
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