The Thirteen Books of Euclid's Elements

Often called the Father of Geometry, Euclid was a Greek mathematician living during the reign of Ptolemy I around 300 BC. Within his foundational textbook Elements, Euclid presents the results of earlier mathematicians and includes many of his own theories in a systematic, concise book that utilized meticulous proofs and a brief set of axioms to solidify his deductions. In addition to its easily referenced geometry, Elements also includes number theory and other mathematical considerations. For 23 centuries, this work was the primary textbook of mathematics, containing the only possible geometry known by mathematicians until the late 19th century. Today, Euclid's Elements is acknowledged as one of the most influential mathematical texts in history. This volume includes all thirteen books of Euclid's Elements and is translated by Thomas Heath.