The geometry in Plato's Meno
History and Overview
2023-09-04 v2 Geometric Topology
Abstract
In this paper, we analyze the two geometrical passages in Plato's Meno, (81c -- 85c) and (86e4 -- 87b2), from the points of view of a geometer in Plato's time and today. We give, in our opinion, a complete explanation of the difficult second geometrical passage. Our explanation solves an ingenious geometry puzzle that has baffled readers of Plato's Meno for over 2,400 years.
Cite
@article{arxiv.2111.03946,
title = {The geometry in Plato's Meno},
author = {John G. Ratcliffe and Sophia Stone and Steven T. Tschantz},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2111.03946},
year = {2023}
}
Comments
The solution of Plato's triangle inscription problem in the Meno that we describe in Section 9 of this paper is not new. It was already obtained in the 19th century. We shall have more to say about the history of this problem in the future