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Len Berggren
Professor Emeritus
PhD Mathematics · University of Washington · 1966
tel 778.782.5757
fax 778.782.4947
berggren@sfu.ca
office SC K9505.3
Most of my work centers on the study of the mathematical sciences in ancient Greece and medieval Islam, and I am presently publishing, with James Evans at the University of Puget Sound, a translation of a Greek treatise titled Introduction to the Phenomena. The 'phenomena' refers to things seen in the heavens concerning the Sun, Moon, stars and planets, and the author of the book,Geminos, intended it as an introduction to astronomy as it was known in the first century B.C., written for the educated Greek reader. I am also engaged in the translation and study of the geometrical works of the 10th century Persian scientist, Abu Sahl al-Kuhi, whose works continue the Greek geometric heritage of rigorous solution of difficult problems of the sort found in Archimedes and Apollonius. Among his major works are studies of centres of gravity, the geometry of astrolabes, and the construction of a special kind of geometrical compass for drawing conic sections.