Who Actually Discovered the Formula for the Area of a Triangle?

  • Thread starter Shark
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In summary, the conversation between Greg and Heron was about the discovery of the formula for the area of a triangle. While Heron's name is often associated with the formula, it was actually Archimedes who first discovered it in his studies on the properties of circles. Heron provided a definite reference to the formula, but it was not his original discovery. The conversation also touched on the importance of asking challenging questions and solving logical puzzles.
  • #1
Shark
Greg - You gave someone else the point for saying Heron - but Heron did not discover the formula for the area of a triangle.

Heron's name is indeed imbedded in the formula name, but he was not the first.

Archimededes, in about the year 250 B.C., was working on the properties of the circle, and was investigating the number pi.

In his process he created the formula for the area of a triangle which helped him in his understanding of circles - as is witnessed by calculus properties of the circle and trig functions.
 
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  • #2
I am not trying to start an argument...

..Greg's response was there was no proof Archimedes did it.

Greg, I urge you to see the following page:

http://www.ugrad.math.ubc.ca/coursedoc/math101/notes/integration/archimedes.html

This page is from the university of mathetmatics of British Columbia.

They attribute it to Archimedes.

I am not going to attempt to take credit - I do however want you and others to understand that Heron did NOT discover the formula first.
 
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  • #3
Also - I could provide you with some VERY challenging simple answer questions.
 
  • #4
I'm not going to pass judgments until I dissect this question, so let's do it here:

"Who discovered the formula for finding the area of a triangle?"

-Initial Research Hit @ Google under "first formula of area of triangle"

Hit titles suggest Heron...We enter one website...

http://www.mathpages.com/home/kmath196.htm

-When at web page you hit Crtl F, and type "Heron" - Scan the sentence with that name.

We've hit a jackpot, as the sentence incorporates the two figures in question:

"For example, some people think it was known to
Archimedes. However, the first definite reference we have to this
formula is Heron's."

Based on the fact that many search hits immediately brought up the name Heron and that also this sentence suggests Heron is the correct answer, we can make our preliminary post as Heron being the first.

The only flaw I see in this question is its wording - something to the extent of "first definite" would have made things clearer. However, with deduction we can make the educated guess that the person making the question inferred that Heron was the right answer.
 
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  • #5
greg, you should also have philosophical questions, like riddles.

and logical puzzles like the one i posted here a while back entitled "the hardest puzzle"
 

1. Who is credited with discovering the formula for the area of a triangle?

The formula for the area of a triangle is actually a well-known mathematical concept that has been around for centuries. While there is no one person who can be credited with its discovery, scholars believe that the ancient Egyptians, Babylonians, and Greeks all had knowledge of this formula.

2. When was the formula for the area of a triangle first discovered?

The concept of calculating the area of a triangle has been around for thousands of years, with evidence of its use in ancient civilizations such as Egypt and Babylonia. However, the first recorded use of the specific formula we use today is attributed to the Greek mathematician Heron of Alexandria in the 1st century AD.

3. What is the formula for finding the area of a triangle?

The formula for the area of a triangle is A = 1/2 * base * height, where A is the area, base is the length of the triangle's base, and height is the perpendicular distance from the base to the opposite vertex.

4. How is the formula for the area of a triangle derived?

The formula for the area of a triangle can be derived using basic geometry principles and the concept of congruent triangles. By dividing a triangle into two smaller triangles and rearranging them into a parallelogram, it can be shown that the area of the parallelogram is equal to the sum of the areas of the two smaller triangles, which is then simplified to the formula A = 1/2 * base * height.

5. Is there a simple way to remember the formula for the area of a triangle?

There is no specific trick or mnemonic for remembering the formula for the area of a triangle, but understanding the concept behind it can help with remembering the formula. It may also be helpful to practice using the formula with different types of triangles to gain a better understanding of how it works.

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