Synagoge

work by Pappus of Alexandria

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July 14, 2026

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The Synagoge (Collection) was the most important work by Pappus of Alexandria, a Greek mathematician who flourished around 320 AD. This extensive work served as a comprehensive account of significant ancient Greek mathematics.1

The surviving portions of the Synagoge cover a wide array of mathematical topics, with a strong emphasis on geometry. It includes solutions to complex problems, such as doubling the volume of a cube, and explores the properties of spirals and curved lines. The work also details Archimedes' discovery of semiregular polyhedra and provides a guide to astronomical texts. Book 7 is particularly valuable as it contains Pappus's commentary on lost geometry books, offering crucial insights into the methods of ancient Greek analysis. The Synagoge significantly influenced later mathematicians like Descartes, Fermat, and Newton.1

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Pappus of Alexandria
…Roman Empire, known for his Synagoge (“Collection”), a voluminous account of the most important work done in ancient Greek mathematics. Other than that he was born at Alexandria in Egypt and that his career coincided with the first three decades of the 4th century ad, little is known about his…
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…Roman Empire, known for his Synagoge (“Collection”), a voluminous account of the most important work done in ancient Greek mathematics. Other than that he was born at Alexandria in Egypt and that his career coincided with the first three decades of the 4th century ad, little is known about his…
Read More