Completing Book II of Archimedes's ``On floating bodies''
type: Item
instance of: scholarly article
title: Completing Book II of Archimedes's ``On floating bodies''
zbMATH Open document ID: 1069.01004
DOI: 10.1007/BF02986750
author: Chris Rorres
published in: The Mathematical Intelligencer
publication date: 2005-05-23T00:00:00Z
review text: Starting from Archimedes' book (Book II), entitled `On Floating Bodies' (discussing the stable equilibrium positions of floating paraboloids of various shapes), the author of the present study extends Archimedes' investigations to more complex cases, in which the base of the floating paraboloid is partially submerged. Supported by the opportunities of modern computing techniques and, computer graphics a three-dimensional surface has been realized, including all possible equilibrium positions (including the stable and the unstable ones). After providing a thorough definition of a paraboloid, the author develops an exhaustive exposition of the main ideas developed by Archimedes in his books. Highly convincing graphics contributes to a ready understanding of the abstract ideas under discussion.
reviewed by: Cristina Irimia
Mathematics Subject Classification ID: 01A20
Mathematics Subject Classification ID: 70-03
Mathematics Subject Classification ID: 70C20
zbMATH DE Number: 2170565
zbMATH Keywords: Archimedes
zbMATH Keywords: floating body
zbMATH Keywords: paraboloid
zbMATH Keywords: law of buoyancy
zbMATH Keywords: stability analysis
zbMATH Keywords: solid
zbMATH Keywords: convex object
MaRDI profile type: Publication
cites work: Q3995227
cites work: The Impact of Archimedes on Medieval Science
cites work: Q5338277
cites work: Q3789500
cites work: How Things Float
cites work: Q3997135
cites work: Q4440314
cites work: Solution of the Cattle Problem of Archimedes
description: scientific article; zbMATH DE number 2170565