Arithmêtikê stoicheiôsis: On Diophantus and Hero of Alexandria

Abstract

Two ancient mathematical works, cited in ancient sources as the "Preliminaries to the Arithmetic Elements" and the "Preliminaries to the Geometric Elements"-of which the former is no longer extant, while the latter is an alternative designation of the Definitions, now commonly attributed to Hero of Alexandria-are here argued to be companion works by the same author, namely Diophantus of Alexandria. This attribution has implications for the dating of Diophantus. © 1993 Academic Press. All rights reserved.