PLATO – THE ATHENIAN PHILOSOPHER

What was the sign above Plato's Academy entrance?

• Let no-one ignorant of philosophy enter here

• Let no-one ignorant of geometry enter here

• Let no-one ignorant of mathematics enter here

• Let no-one ignorant of science enter here

Who were some of the prominent mathematicians at Plato's Academy?

• Pythagoras, Euclid, Archimedes

• Eudoxus, Theaetetus, Archytas

• Fibonacci, Pascal, Newton

• Gauss, Bolyai, Lobachevsky

What were the first 10 years of the 15 year course at Plato's Academy focused on?

• Philosophy and literature

• Science and mathematics

• Physical education and arts

• History and politics

What are the 5 regular symmetrical 3-dimensional shapes identified by Plato?

• Tetrahedron, hexahedron, octahedron, dodecahedron, icosahedron

• Tetrahedron, octahedron, icosahedron, cube, dodecahedron

• Tetrahedron, octahedron, icosahedron, pyramid, sphere

• Tetrahedron, octahedron, icosahedron, cube, pyramid

Which Platonic Solid represents fire according to Plato?

• Tetrahedron

• Octahedron

• Cube

• Icosahedron

Who proved that the 5 regular symmetrical 3-dimensional shapes were the only possible convex regular polyhedra?

• Euclid

• Theaetetus

• Plato

• Pythagoras

Which mathematician devised an ingenious system of nested Platonic solids and spheres to approximate the distances of the known planets from the Sun?

• Johannes Kepler

• Euclid

• Plato

• Pythagoras

What did Plato stress as a way of understanding more about reality?

• Science

• Mathematics

• Literature

• Philosophy

What did Plato demand of his students in their mathematical studies?

• Accurate definitions, clearly stated assumptions, and logical deductive proof

• Memorization of formulas and theorems

• Use of calculators and computers for proofs

• Collaborative problem solving without individual proofs

What were the Three Classical Problems posed by Plato for his students' investigation?

• Squaring the hexagon, doubling the octahedron, trisecting the dodecahedron

• Squaring the triangle, doubling the sphere, trisecting the line

• Squaring the rectangle, doubling the pyramid, trisecting the circle

• Squaring the circle, doubling the cube, trisecting the angle