Topics (144k) Articles (146k) Users (294) Discussions (237) Comments (383) Files (715) New article
"Planisphaerium" typically refers to a type of celestial map or star chart that presents a two-dimensional representation of the night sky. The term can also relate to specific tools or devices used for celestial navigation, such as star globes or planispheric astrolabes.
"On Sizes and Distances" is a work attributed to the ancient Greek astronomer Hipparchus, who lived in the 2nd century BCE. While the original text is lost, it is known through references and quotations by later scholars and commentators. This work is significant because it deals with the relative sizes and distances of celestial bodies, particularly the Moon and Sun, in relation to the Earth.
"Euclid's Data" is a work attributed to the ancient Greek mathematician Euclid, known primarily for his contributions to geometry. This particular text focuses on the nature and properties of geometric concepts, particularly concerning the conditions necessary to deduce certain propositions and relationships from given data. The work is notable for its exploration of the concept of data in the sense of what is assumed or given in a geometric problem.
The Archimedes Palimpsest is a medieval manuscript that contains the only known copies of several works by the ancient Greek mathematician and physicist Archimedes. The palimpsest is particularly notable for its historical and scientific significance, as it features texts that had been lost to history until its discovery. The manuscript dates back to the 10th century and originally contained Archimedes' writings, but it was later overwritten by a Christian text in the 13th century.
"Works by Euclid" typically refers to the mathematical texts attributed to the ancient Greek mathematician Euclid, who is often called the "Father of Geometry." His most famous work is the "Elements," a comprehensive compilation of the knowledge of geometry of his time, organized into thirteen books. The "Elements" covers various topics, including: 1. **Plane Geometry**: Basic concepts such as points, lines, angles, triangles, and circles.
"Works by Archimedes" refers to the collection of mathematical and scientific writings attributed to the ancient Greek mathematician and engineer Archimedes of Syracuse, who lived from approximately 287 to 212 BC. Archimedes is renowned for his contributions to mathematics, particularly in geometry, calculus, and the understanding of the principles of leverage, buoyancy, and hydrostatics.
Syllogism is a form of logical reasoning that uses deductive reasoning to arrive at a conclusion based on two premises. It consists of three parts: a major premise, a minor premise, and a conclusion. The structure of a syllogism allows for the deduction of a conclusion that logically follows from the premises. Here’s a classic example of a syllogism: 1. Major Premise: All humans are mortal. 2. Minor Premise: Socrates is a human.
Stoic logic is a part of the philosophical system developed by the Stoics, a school of philosophy that began in ancient Greece and flourished in Rome. The Stoics, including notable figures such as Zeno of Citium, Chrysippus, Seneca, and Epictetus, were primarily concerned with ethics, epistemology, and the nature of the universe, but they also developed a sophisticated system of logic.
Pseudo-Zeno typically refers to a philosophical concept or argument that is inspired by or analogous to Zeno's paradoxes, particularly in their structure or implications but does not fit squarely within the original framework of Zeno's philosophy. Zeno of Elea, a Greek philosopher, is well-known for his paradoxes that challenge our understanding of motion and change, such as the famous "Achilles and the Tortoise" paradox.
The Problem of Future Contingents is a philosophical issue that deals with the nature of truth and reference concerning statements about the future, particularly those that are contingent—meaning that their truth value is not determined. The central question is whether propositions about the future, which may or may not come to pass, can be said to have a definite truth value at the present moment.
In philosophy, "predication" refers to the relationship between a subject and a predicate in a statement. Specifically, it involves attributing properties, qualities, or relations to a subject within a proposition. Predication is a central concept in logic and metaphysics, as it helps to analyze how we make claims about the world and how those claims convey information about the subjects we discuss.
A Porphyrian tree is a type of hierarchical diagram used in philosophy, particularly in metaphysics and the philosophy of classification, to illustrate the relationships between different categories of beings and their properties. The concept is named after the ancient philosopher Porphyry, a student of Plotinus, who is credited with the development of this method in his work "Isagoge," which serves as an introduction to Aristotle's "Categories.
The Paradox of the Court, also known as the "Paradox of Protagoras," is a philosophical and legal paradox that arises from a hypothetical situation involving a legal agreement. It is often attributed to the ancient Greek philosopher Protagoras. The paradox can be explained through a scenario involving a teacher and a student. Suppose a student, wanting to learn from a teacher (who is a skilled orator), agrees to pay the teacher a fee after winning his first court case.
The Megarian school was an ancient Greek philosophical school that emerged in the 4th century BCE. It was founded by Euclid of Megara, a student of Socrates, and is often associated with the city of Megara, which is located near Athens. The Megarian school is known for its contributions to dialectical reasoning and its focus on logic and ontology, emphasizing the nature of being and the distinction between appearance and reality.
"Logos" is a term with multiple meanings and uses, primarily found in philosophy, rhetoric, and theology. Here are some of the key contexts in which "logos" is significant: 1. **Philosophy**: In ancient Greek philosophy, particularly in the work of Heraclitus, "logos" referred to the principle of order and knowledge. It is often interpreted as the rational structure of the universe, suggesting that there is a logical reason behind the cosmos's existence and functioning.
A genus–differentia definition is a way of defining a term by identifying its broader category (genus) and then specifying the characteristics that distinguish it from other members of that category (differentia). This method of definition is often used in philosophical, biological, and logical contexts to convey the essential nature of a concept or entity. The genus represents the larger group or class to which the term belongs, while the differentia highlights the unique features that set it apart from other members of that group.
The Epimenides paradox is a self-referential paradox attributed to the ancient Cretan philosopher Epimenides. The paradox arises from a statement made by Epimenides himself, who is famously quoted as saying, "All Cretans are liars." The paradox can be broken down as follows: 1. If Epimenides is correct in claiming that "All Cretans are liars," then he, being a Cretan, must also be a liar.
"Dictum de omni et nullo" is a Latin phrase that translates to "the saying about all and none." It is a principle from medieval scholastic philosophy and logic, particularly associated with the works of Peter Abelard and later in discussions of categorical logic. The principle addresses the scope of quantification in logical statements and can be understood as dealing with the relationships between universal affirmative (all) and universal negative (none) statements.
Dialectic is a method of argument or discourse that seeks to resolve contradictions and arrive at a deeper understanding of truth. It has been used throughout history by various philosophers and thinkers, and it can take different forms depending on the context. 1. **Philosophical Dialectic**: Originating with ancient Greek philosophers such as Socrates, dialectic involved the art of conversation and debate to explore ideas and uncover truths through asking questions and examining answers.
Pinned article: Introduction to the OurBigBook Project
Welcome to the OurBigBook Project! Our goal is to create the perfect publishing platform for STEM subjects, and get university-level students to write the best free STEM tutorials ever.
Everyone is welcome to create an account and play with the site: ourbigbook.com/go/register. We belive that students themselves can write amazing tutorials, but teachers are welcome too. You can write about anything you want, it doesn't have to be STEM or even educational. Silly test content is very welcome and you won't be penalized in any way. Just keep it legal!
Intro to OurBigBook
. Source. We have two killer features:
- topics: topics group articles by different users with the same title, e.g. here is the topic for the "Fundamental Theorem of Calculus" ourbigbook.com/go/topic/fundamental-theorem-of-calculusArticles of different users are sorted by upvote within each article page. This feature is a bit like:
- a Wikipedia where each user can have their own version of each article
- a Q&A website like Stack Overflow, where multiple people can give their views on a given topic, and the best ones are sorted by upvote. Except you don't need to wait for someone to ask first, and any topic goes, no matter how narrow or broad
This feature makes it possible for readers to find better explanations of any topic created by other writers. And it allows writers to create an explanation in a place that readers might actually find it.Figure 1. Screenshot of the "Derivative" topic page. View it live at: ourbigbook.com/go/topic/derivativeVideo 2. OurBigBook Web topics demo. Source. - local editing: you can store all your personal knowledge base content locally in a plaintext markup format that can be edited locally and published either:This way you can be sure that even if OurBigBook.com were to go down one day (which we have no plans to do as it is quite cheap to host!), your content will still be perfectly readable as a static site.
- to OurBigBook.com to get awesome multi-user features like topics and likes
- as HTML files to a static website, which you can host yourself for free on many external providers like GitHub Pages, and remain in full control
Figure 2. You can publish local OurBigBook lightweight markup files to either OurBigBook.com or as a static website.Figure 3. Visual Studio Code extension installation.Figure 5. . You can also edit articles on the Web editor without installing anything locally. Video 3. Edit locally and publish demo. Source. This shows editing OurBigBook Markup and publishing it using the Visual Studio Code extension. - Infinitely deep tables of contents:
All our software is open source and hosted at: github.com/ourbigbook/ourbigbook
Further documentation can be found at: docs.ourbigbook.com
Feel free to reach our to us for any help or suggestions: docs.ourbigbook.com/#contact





