Elements
by Euclid · Στοιχεῖα
Assigned by 4 of the 9 reading lists, catalogue entry only
- Written
- c. 300 BCE
- Language
- Greek
- Length
- Long · 500 pp300 to 700 pages
- Difficulty
- Demanding3 of 5 for a first-year reader
We recommendEuclid's Elements, translated by Thomas L. HeathGreen Lion Press, 2002Heath's translation in one volume without his commentary, the edition St. John's and TAC use in tutorial.
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Thirteen books of definitions, postulates, common notions and propositions, each proved from what precedes it, compiled at Alexandria around 300 BCE and used as the textbook of geometry for two thousand years. Books I to IV treat plane figures, beginning with the construction of an equilateral triangle and reaching the Pythagorean theorem at the end of Book I. Book V gives Eudoxus's theory of proportion, Books VII to IX number theory including the infinitude of primes, Book X incommensurable magnitudes, and Books XI to XIII solid geometry, ending with the five regular solids.
No reading guide yet
The catalogue entry above is complete: the dates, the form, the themes and every program that assigns Elements are verified against each program's published list.
What is missing is the part that takes real work: the summary, the key passages, and a recommended translation. The edition named below is the one most programs assign, so the buy links are useful already.
