Thymaridas

Thymaridas

Born: about 400 BC in Paros, Greece
Died: about 350 BC

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Thymaridas was a number theorist who wrote on prime numbers. He called a prime number rectilinear since it can only be represented one-dimensionally. Non-primes such as 6 are represented by rectangles of sides 2 and 3.

We are told a little about Thymaridas life. He was apparently a rich man but, for some reason we are not told about, he fell into poverty. Thestor of Poseidonia sailed to Paros to help him with money specially collected for his benefit.

Thymaridas also gave methods for solving simultaneous linear equations. For the n equations in n unknowns

x + x1 + x2 + ... + xn-1 = S
x + x1 = a1
x + x2 = a2
.
.
.
x + xn-1 = an-1

then Thymaridas gives the solution

x = ((a1 + a2 + .... + an-1) - S)/(n-2).

He also shows how certain other types of equations can be put into this form.

References:

  1. Dictionary of Scientific Biography
  2. T L Heath, A History of Greek Mathematics I (Oxford, 1921), 69, 72, 94. 
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JOC/EFR February 1996