Nicomachus of Gerasa facts for kids
Nicomachus lived from about 60 AD to 120 AD. He was born in Gerasa, which was part of Roman Syria and is now called Jerash in Jordan. Nicomachus was a very important mathematician from ancient times.
He was greatly influenced by the ideas of Aristotle. Nicomachus is most famous for two books he wrote in Greek: Introduction to Arithmetic and The Manual of Harmonics. He was also a Pythagorean, meaning he followed the teachings of Pythagoras, especially about how numbers were connected to everything.
Contents
Nicomachus and Numbers
In his book Introduction to Arithmetic, Nicomachus wrote a lot about different kinds of numbers. He focused on the importance of special numbers like prime numbers and perfect numbers.
What are Prime Numbers?
A prime number is a whole number greater than 1 that can only be divided evenly by 1 and itself. For example, 2, 3, 5, 7, and 11 are prime numbers. You can't divide 7 by anything other than 1 and 7 without getting a remainder.
What are Perfect Numbers?
A perfect number is a positive whole number that is equal to the sum of its positive divisors (not including the number itself). For example, the first perfect number is 6. Its divisors are 1, 2, and 3. If you add them up (1 + 2 + 3), you get 6. Another perfect number is 28 (1 + 2 + 4 + 7 + 14 = 28).
Arithmetic: The Key to Other Sciences
Nicomachus believed that arithmetic, which is the study of numbers and calculations, was the most important starting point for all other mathematical sciences. He thought that if you understood arithmetic well, it would help you understand:
- Geometry: The study of shapes, sizes, positions, and properties of space.
- Music: Nicomachus explored the mathematical relationships and patterns found in musical harmony.
- Astronomy: The study of stars, planets, and other objects in space.
He saw these subjects as connected through the fundamental principles of numbers.
Images for kids
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Plato (left) and Nicomachus (right), shown as inventors of music, from a 12th-century manuscript.
See also
In Spanish: Nicómaco de Gerasa para niños
