The following sections of this BookRags Literature Study Guide is offprint from Gale's For Students Series: Presenting Analysis, Context, and Criticism on Commonly Studied Works: Introduction, Author Biography, Plot Summary, Characters, Themes, Style, Historical Context, Critical Overview, Criticism and Critical Essays, Media Adaptations, Topics for Further Study, Compare & Contrast, What Do I Read Next?, For Further Study, and Sources.
(c)1998-2002; (c)2002 by Gale. Gale is an imprint of The Gale Group, Inc., a division of Thomson Learning, Inc. Gale and Design and Thomson Learning are trademarks used herein under license.
The following sections, if they exist, are offprint from Beacham's Encyclopedia of Popular Fiction: "Social Concerns", "Thematic Overview", "Techniques", "Literary Precedents", "Key Questions", "Related Titles", "Adaptations", "Related Web Sites". (c)1994-2005, by Walton Beacham.
The following sections, if they exist, are offprint from Beacham's Guide to Literature for Young Adults: "About the Author", "Overview", "Setting", "Literary Qualities", "Social Sensitivity", "Topics for Discussion", "Ideas for Reports and Papers". (c)1994-2005, by Walton Beacham.
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c. 240-c. 300
Greek mathematician and teacher of Pappus (fl. c. A.D. 320), noted for his work on classic problems and his critiques of other mathematicians' approaches. Sporus developed his own solutions to the problems of doubling the cube and squaring the circle, and it was in the latter context that he produced the most notable among his critical comments regarding the work of others. It was his view—and numerous historians since have agreed—that the quadratix of Hippias (c. 460-c. 400 B.C.) required the user to know the radius of the circle in question, thus assuming the knowledge it was supposedly designed to provide. In addition to his work as a mathematician, Sporus wrote on the Sun and the comets.