Euclid’s Elements of Geometry (1770s)

Edited by Joseph Fenn

Euclid’s Elements is one of the most important books in the history of geometry. Euclid lived around 300 BC, although the exact dates of his birth and death remain unknown. Little is known about his life. In twelve books, Euclid brilliantly orders geometrical constructions, proofs, and axioms in such a way that all information required for a proof has been laid out beforehand. It is thought that his books contained all the geometrical knowledge that he knew of, and likely, that was known in the world at that time. Elements also contains sections on number theory. It includes information on the perfect numbers, Mersenne primes, the infinitude of prime numbers, and the fundamental theorem of arithmetic. This book was the standard text for geometrical reasoning and instruction into the 19th and 20th centuries, and continues to provide guidance to teachers and students alike.