c. 300 BCEReputable sourceWell documented
Euclid and the Birth of Proof
On the timeline · around c. 300 BCE · Ancient Mathematics
What happened
Working in Alexandria, the Greek mathematician Euclid compiled the Elements — a systematic treatment of geometry and number theory built up from a handful of axioms by rigorous logical proof. It was arguably the most influential textbook ever written, used to teach mathematics for more than two thousand years.
Why it matters
Euclid established the idea of mathematical proof — deriving certain truths by pure logic from stated assumptions — which remains the defining method of mathematics to this day.
Sources
Related timelines
- Ancient Greece → — The mathematics of the classical Greek world