c. 300 BCE / West Asia & North Africa
Euclid's Elements builds chains of proof
The Elements organizes earlier geometry and number theory into propositions derived from definitions and basic assumptions.
The story
Euclid did not invent all the mathematics he assembled. The arrangement makes results depend on earlier arguments, covering numbers and proportions as well as shapes. Evidence for his life is limited, and the date is approximate. Copying, translation, teaching and criticism sustained the work's influence.
Connections and context
The Greek text entered Arabic and Latin scholarship. Its later translation in China opened another chapter of mathematical exchange.
Dates and precision
c. 300 BCE Approximate year
An estimated date from the surviving evidence, not a claim about one exact year.
Representative map location
Alexandria
The city associated with Euclid's teaching, not an identified school building.
Representative coordinates · 31.2°, 29.92°
A marker identifies one representative place, such as a manuscript collection, laboratory or observing site. It does not mean the work happened only there, or assign a shared discovery to one country.
Bibliography
- University of St Andrews, MacTutor | Euclid and the Elements
- University of St Andrews, MacTutor | Perfect numbers
References are listed as plain bibliography titles. They support particular facts or context; a reference does not certify every interpretation in a story.