Pappus of Alexandria

Pappus of Alexandria (/ˈpæpəs/ ^ⓘ; Ancient Greek: Πάππος ὁ Ἀλεξανδρεύς; c. 290 – c.  350 AD) was a Greek mathematician of late antiquity known for his Synagoge (Συναγωγή) or Collection (c. 340),^[1] and for Pappus's hexagon theorem in projective geometry. Almost nothing is known about his life except for what can be found in his own writings, many of which are lost. Pappus apparently lived in Alexandria, where he worked as a mathematics teacher to higher level students, one of whom was named Hermodorus.^[2]

The Collection, his best-known work, is a compendium of mathematics in eight volumes, the bulk of which survives. It covers a wide range of topics that were part of the ancient mathematics curriculum, including geometry, astronomy, and mechanics.^[1]

Pappus was active in a period generally considered one of stagnation in mathematical studies, where, to some, he stands out as a remarkable exception^[3] and, to others, as an exemplar of ills that halted the progress of Greek science.^[4] In many respects, his fate strikingly resembles that of Diophantus', originally of limited importance but becoming very influential in the late Renaissance and Early Modern periods.