Leodamas of Thasos

Leodamas of Thasos (c. 380 BC) was a Greek mathematician and a contemporary of Plato, about whom little is known.

There are two references to Leodamas in Proclus's Commentary on Euclid:^[1]

"At this time [Plato's time] also lived Leodamas of Thasos, Archytas of Tarentum, and Theaetetus of Athens, by whom the

theorems [of geometry] were increased in number and brought into a more scientific arrangement. Younger than Leodamas was

Neoclides and his pupil Leon, who added many discoveries."

"Plato, it is said, taught this method [analysis] to Leodamas, who is also reported to have made many discoveries in geometry by means of it."

and one in Diogenes Laertius' Lives and Opinions of Eminent Philosophers, Book 3 (Plato):

"He [Plato] was the first to explain to Leodamas of Thasos the method of solving problems by analysis."

Notes

1. Waterhouse, William C. "Math Forum Discussions - math history list (Re: Leodamas of Thasos)". Retrieved 2011-02-07.