Math’s Activity

Life of the hero the great

herons of Alexandria
 Life of the hero the great herons
of Alexandria
• Greek mathematician and engineer Hero of Alexandria was active in his native
city of Alexandria, a part of the Roman Empire. His work is representative of
Hellenistic-era science. The aeolipile and other devices, such as the Hero
engine, were powered by steam. One of his most famous inventions was an
experiment done as part of the earliest instance of harnessing wind energy on
land. He is said to have philosophies related to atomists, which he discussed in
his work Mechanics. He also described pantographs. Heron is mostly
remembered for devising a formula to calculate the area of a triangle. Much of
the original writings and designs attributed to Hero, including in manuscripts
from the Eastern Roman Empire, have been lost including works detailing an
automatic door. However, some of his works were preserved to a lesser extent
in Latin or Arabic translations.
 Early life
• Hero of Alexandria was born in 10 AD. As a boy, he spent
most of his time at the University of Alexandria – an
institution that housed the famous Library of Alexandria.
Very little is known about his family. Hero’s teaching career
is lauded by the historian, who believes it is Hero’s work at
the Museum that supports this. She ascribes to his writings
lectures in physics, pneumatics, mathematics and
mechanics – though he was famous for inventions of devices
later automated. Some of his devices represent the first
formal research into cybernetics. Cybernetics, originally
spelled ‘cybernetique’ (from Greek: κυβερνητικος), was not
recognized as a field of study until the 20th century.
Herons
Drawing
 Carrier
Heron’s works demonstrate his genius as an inventor, but he also made important contributions to
mathematics. He won acclaim for devising a practical approach that would be used today. In addition
to formulating approximations of square roots and the area of triangles, Heron contributed to
geometer development with his treatise. These three books written by Heron in Istanbul, focus on
calculating areas and volumes of bodies like pyramids, cones, cylinders, prisms etc. The book,
Geometria et Almagestum Vtiqui Aliique Opuscula was the first work to have come up with the famous
‘Heron’s formula. Other geometrical works include Definition which lists out different geometer-related
terms and Geometrical that is a list of geometries. His mathematics focused primarily on practical
uses such as determining the capacity of a stadium or how many jars could be stored on a ship. He
was the pioneer of geometrical terms and symbols. Heron pioneered procedures for finding numerical
square roots and cube roots, as well as other areas of mathematics like geodesy. He studied the size
and shape of the earth while also exploring locations on it. It is not certain that Baroulkos existed, but
we know without a doubt that his book on heavy-lifting machines was lost. Archimedes also worked
with mirrors and building vaults. He made some treatises in surveying as well. His breadth of
understanding was not limited to just mechanics and mathematics. Heron also mastered other
disciplines, including Cheirobalistra, Belopoeica, Automatic Poietica and Pneumatica.
Herons
Drawing
 Personal Life
Heron, whose personal life is virtually unknown, makes a living in
Alexandria among the scientists and writers of the late-Ptolemaic
rule and Roman era. He was brilliant at theoretical sciences and
wrote with clarity and insight. His family life remains a mystery. His
knowledge was saved in writings of medieval Byzantine scholars
as well as those from Arabic countries.
 What Was Heron of Alexandria
Known For?
Aside from his theorems and works detailing an automatic
door, Heron had several other contributions.
 Contributions To Mathematics
Heron’s formula, a widely respected tool for computing the area of triangles,
bears his name due to its appearance in his book ‘Metrica.’ However, theorists
believe that Hero was not the only person to know about this equation as
Archimedes from Syracuse is said to have discovered this formula centuries
earlier. Hero developed an iterative method that calculated square roots. This
system was first detailed in Metrica, by Hero. Now we refer to it as the
‘Babylonian Method’ or the ‘Heron’s Method.’ He also discovered a way to
calculate cube roots with iteration. He was quite knowledgeable in calculating
seating capacity for stadiums and estimating the number of jars that could be
stored in containers or ships. He also coined many terms about geometry, such
as “geodesy” which is now used to measure the Earth’s geometric shape.
 Aeolipile
Heron lived in Roman Egypt during the 1st century, and his
description of a steam-powered device called an ‘aeolipile’ is
considered to be the first recorded mention of a steam turbine.
Though Hero does not mention rotating parts in his description,
Vitruvius (active 1st century BC) who first mentioned this device in
his work, is said to have been inspired by the earlier work of
Ctesibius (285-222 BC).
 Windwheel
Hero is credited with inventing the first wind-powered musical
instrument, a form of organ that used the power of the wind to
generate sounds.
 Vending Machine
Although the modern vending machine first appeared in 1883, it
was not invented by inventor, Percival Everett. Instead, Hero is
credited with being the inventor of the earliest known vending
machine that dispensed holy water. His inventions only accepted
coins and had a slot to insert them into. Holy water would flow
from a spigot until the coin fell into a pan at the bottom. The
weight of the coin caused it to tilt on an attached lever which tilted
the pan and continued flowing holy water.
 Field of Optics
Hero’s contribution to the field of optics is invaluable. His principle
of least time, which was first formulated by French mathematician
Pierre de Fermat is now known as Fermat’s principle and it has
been expanded on by Alhacen (who lived in what is now called
Syria), who worked on reflection and refraction based on Heron’s
work.
 Greek Theater
Hero used the laws of mechanics to orchestrate a ten-minute play
with almost no human intervention, using ropes and simple
machines behind the stage. The spectacle is so enchanting
because people in ancient times were captivated by its theatrical
tricks but couldn’t work out how it was done.
 Published Works and Books
Hero of Alexandria is credited with writing myriad books that include mechanical
devices and toys. ‘PNEUMATICA’ includes descriptions of machines that harness
the power of air, steam, and water such as an aeolipile , water organ, coin
operated machine etc.
Hero’s book ‘MECHANICA’ details a wide range of principles, including a way to
lift and transport heavy objects, the theory of motion, and how to calculate the
center of gravity for simple shapes. Unfortunately, an Arabic translation is all
that remains from the original texts.
The book, AUTOMATA, gives detailed descriptions of several mechanical statues
that filled wine goblets at specific intervals or when queried — particularly of an
automatic door.
Hero wrote three books about geometry that were found in Istanbul in 1896.
They were “METRICA”, containing Hero’s calculation of volumes and surface
areas, the “GEOMETRICA” with equations based on those from Metrica’s first
chapter, and a third book called the ‘HOARD’ with measurements.
Thankyou
By
Nevin Jaison
Class 9B