Hero of Alexandria

Heron of Alexandria
Heron of Alexandria
Ἥρων
	17th-century German depiction of Heron
Citizenship	Alexandria, Roman Egypt
Known for	Aeolipile; Heron's fountain; Heron's formula; Vending machine;
	Scientific career
Fields	Mathematics; Physics; Pneumatic and hydraulic engineering;

Hero of Alexandria (/ˈhɪəroʊ/; Greek: Ἥρων^[a] ὁ Ἀλεξανδρεύς, Hērōn hò Alexandreús, also known as Heron of Alexandria /ˈhɛrən/; probably 1st or 2nd century AD) was a Greek mathematician and engineer who was active in Alexandria in Egypt during the Roman era. He has been described as the greatest experimentalist of antiquity^[1] and his work is representative of the Hellenistic scientific tradition.^[2]

Hero published a well-recognized description of a steam-powered device called an aeolipile (sometimes called a "Hero engine"). Among his most famous inventions was a windwheel, constituting the earliest instance of wind harnessing on land.^[3]^[4] In his work Mechanics, he described pantographs.^[5] Some of his ideas were derived from the works of Ctesibius.

In mathematics, he wrote a commentary on Euclid's Elements and a work on applied geometry known as the Metrica. He is mostly remembered for Heron's formula, a way to calculate the area of a triangle using only the lengths of its sides.^[6]

Much of Hero's original writings and designs have been lost, but some of his works were preserved including in manuscripts from the Byzantine Empire and to a lesser extent, in Latin or Arabic translations.

Cite error: There are <ref group=lower-alpha> tags or {{efn}} templates on this page, but the references will not show without a {{reflist|group=lower-alpha}} template or {{notelist}} template (see the help page).

^ Abbott, David, ed. (1986) [1985]. "Hero of Alexandria". The Biographical Dictionary of Scientists. New York: Peter Bedrick Books. p. 81. Hero of Alexandria lived c. AD 60, variously described as an Egyptian scientist and a Greek engineer, was the greatest experimentalist of antiquity.
^ Marie Boas (February 1949). "Hero's Pneumatica: A Study of Its Transmission and Influence", Isis, Vol. 40, No. 1, p. 38 and supra
^ Cite error: The named reference Drachmann was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ Cite error: The named reference Lohrmann 10f. was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ Ceccarelli, Marco (2007). Distinguished Figures in Mechanism and Machine Science: Their Contributions and Legacies. Springer. p. 230. ISBN 978-1-4020-6366-4.
^ Karin Tybjerg (2004-12-01). "Hero of Alexandria's Mechanical Geometry". Apeiron. 37 (4): 29–56. doi:10.1515/APEIRON.2004.37.4.29. ISSN 2156-7093.

[bds-2] Abbott, David, ed. (1986) [1985]. "Hero of Alexandria". The Biographical Dictionary of Scientists. New York: Peter Bedrick Books. p. 81. Hero of Alexandria lived c. AD 60, variously described as an Egyptian scientist and a Greek engineer, was the greatest experimentalist of antiquity.

[3] Marie Boas (February 1949). "Hero's Pneumatica: A Study of Its Transmission and Influence", Isis, Vol. 40, No. 1, p. 38 and supra

[Drachmann-4] Cite error: The named reference Drachmann was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[Lohrmann_10f.-5] Cite error: The named reference Lohrmann 10f. was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[6] Ceccarelli, Marco (2007). Distinguished Figures in Mechanism and Machine Science: Their Contributions and Legacies. Springer. p. 230. ISBN 978-1-4020-6366-4.

[7] Karin Tybjerg (2004-12-01). "Hero of Alexandria's Mechanical Geometry". Apeiron. 37 (4): 29–56. doi:10.1515/APEIRON.2004.37.4.29. ISSN 2156-7093.

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