Apollonius of Perga
Greek geometer and astronomer
262 BCE to 190 BCE
Apollonius of Perga (ca.
262 BCE – ca.
190 BCE) is a Greek geometer and astronomer noted for his writings on conic sections.
His innovative methodology and terminology, especially in the field of conics, influences many later scholars including Ptolemy, Francesco Maurolico, Isaac Newton, and René Descartes.
It is Apollonius who gives the ellipse, the parabola, and the hyperbola the names by which we know them.
The hypothesis of eccentric orbits, or equivalently, deferent and epicycles, to explain the apparent motion of the planets and the varying speed of the Moon, is also attributed to him.
Apollonius' theorem demonstrates that the two models are equivalent given the right parameters.
Ptolemy describes this theorem in the Almagest XII.1.
Apollonius also researches the lunar history, for which he is said to have been called Epsilon (ε).
The crater Apollonius on the Moon is named in his honor.
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Apollonius of Perga is the first to use coordinates to identify points on a conic.
Apollonius, who flourishes around 225 BCE, investigates the mathematical properties of conic sections in his “Conics,” in which the “Great Geometer” introduces the terms ellipse, hyperbola, and parabola.
Apollonius also performs fundamental work in Greek mathematical astronomy, applying geometrical models to planetary theory.