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The Origins of Pythagora’s Theorem in the Vu~edol Culture in Croatia
Ivan JURIĆ
Marija ĐIKIĆ
Pavao PETRIČEVIĆ
Jacqueline BALEN
Sažetak
Van der Waerden in his book Geometry and Algebra in
Ancient Civilization places the beginnings of mathematical
science in Central Europe between the years 3000 and 2500
before Christ. Waerden states that the calculus, later defined
as Pythagoras’ Theorem, was discovered as early as then,
because it was known how to make geometric drawings
whose side lengths interrelated as whole numbers. This
knowledge was spread from Central Europe to England and
Scotland in the West, and to the Near East, India and China
in the East. In the period in which Waerden considers that
this mathematical knowledge was perceived in Central
Europe, in the region between the Adriatic Sea, Carpathian
Mountains and the Alps, the Vu~edol Culture developed
lasting from 3000 to 2200 B.C. In our research we looked
for those phenomena in the area of development of the
Vu~edol Culture which entailed certain mathematical
knowledge. Research provided results based on which it was
possible to conclude that the first agricultural settlements had
been raised by settlers originating from Palestine and Asia
Minor. Furthermore, at the initial stage of using wood as
building material they were bound to come to mathematical
solutions, quite unnecessary when the material for
construction used to be stone. In the Vu~edol society of that
time certain rituals existed connected to astronomical events,
while shrines were built according to defined mathematical
rules. The geometric drawing on which all sides of the
quadrangle, triangle, quadrangle diagonals and triangle
perpendiculars are whole numbers has become the symbol
to survive in these Croatian parts for 3000 years. A symbol
of such features enables the conclusion that its drawers knew
the calculus of Pythagoras’ Theorem. It is therefore possible
to assume that perception about the period between the years 3000 and 2500 B.C., taking place in the Vu~edol
Culture in Croatia, as well as knowledge of the period prior
to the Vu~edol Culture, confirm the statements of B.L.van der
Waerden concerning the time and place of the beginnings of
mathematical science. Perceptions which form the basis of
Pythagora’s Theorem have occurred in the area and time of
the Vu~edol Culture, whose origins are on Croatian territory,
and from here they spread to the East and West in the exact
direction pointed out by Van der Waerden.
Ključne riječi
Hrčak ID:
20283
URI
Datum izdavanja:
30.6.2000.
Posjeta: 2.156 *