Huygens and π
Abstract
The Dutch scientist Christiaan Huygens refined Archimedes' celebrated geometrical computation of π to its highest point. Yet the rich content of his beautiful treatise De circuli magnitudine inventa (1654) has apparently never been presented in modern form. Here we offer a detailed and contemporary development of several of his most striking results. We also make a historical conjecture concerning Archimedes' trisection figure.
0
Turn this paper into a full lesson
ArcXiv compiles a staged curriculum from this paper: 8-12 lessons across beginner → advanced, synthesised section guides, visuals, flashcards, a quiz, exercises, and on-demand deep dives per section. Grounded in the abstract, never invented.