Euclid was a preeminent Greek mathematician who is often to referred to as the founder of geometry. His historical stature as one of the most influential mathematicians of all time stems from his authorship of the Elements, a textbook of elementary geometry and logic. The accumulated knowledge set forth in the Elements was so exhaustive that the book has been a standard text on geometry throughout the centuries.

Little is known about Euclid's life. Most of what can be inferred concerning Euclid stems from a brief summary by Proclus, who wrote a commentary on the Elements. It is generally agreed that Euclid lived about 300 B.C. Although ancient Arab authors claim that Euclid was Greek and born in Tyre, most historians are certain that Euclid was either Greek or Egyptian. He is believed to have been a student at Plato's Academy in Athens, where most of the accomplished...