Thales of Miletus : Greek mathematician, astronomer and Pre-Socratic Philosopher

Thales of Miletus was a Greek Mathematician, Scientist, Philosopher, and Astronomer. He was an Engineer by profession. He was born in 548/545 BC. He was born to Cleobuline and Examyes. Out of the Seven Sages of Greece he was one of them. He died in 624/623. BC. He was the teacher of Anaximander.

Thales of.Miletus: Greek Mathematician, Scientist, Philosopher, Astronomer and Engineer.

More About Thales of Miletus

1. He travelled to Egypt and learnt geometry from the Egyptians.
2. He made some significant contributions to geometry.
3. He was the first to tell that the triangle inside the circle will be right-angled.
4. He believed that ‘everything is made up of water’.
5. He believed that everything emerges from water and earth floats on water.

Thales of.Miletus Books

Here is the list of books written by Miletus of Thales:

1. The Beginnings of Western Science and Philosophy 
2. The Milesians: Thales

Contributions of Miletus of Thales in Mathematics

Miletus of Thales has made an immense contribution to the field of Mathematics.

1. He gave many theories in geometry.
2. He calculated some complicated calculations.
3. He proposed the Thales theorem.

Thales of.Miletus has proposed five theorems of geometry:

1. The angles between the two intersecting straight lines are equal.
2. The base angles of an isosceles triangle are equal.
3. An angle in a semicircle is a right angle.
4. Any diameter bisects a circle.
5. Two triangles are congruent if they have two angles and one side equal.

Interesting facts about Thales of.Miletus

10 Important Facts about Thales of.Miletus:

1. He is the first Greek Mathematician and Greek Philosopher.  
2. He predicted the solar eclipse.
3. He used to think that matters have life.
4. He was the first to research scientific philosophy
5. He was the first who has gone against the mythology to explain the forces of nature and the universe.
6. He is the founder of the Ionian School.
7. Thales’ hypothesis says that nature and the nature of matter. Everything is made up of a single substance that is water.
8. He was the first to use geometry to measure the distance of ships from the coast and the heights of pyramids.
9. He was the first mathematician to use deductive reasoning in geometry.
10. He is the first mathematician to whom a mathematical discovery.

Awards and Rewards under the name of Thales of Miletus

Many people have appreciated Thales’ work by doing the following things.

1. 6001 Thales,
   A main-belt asteroid has been named under him.   Thales (crater),
   A crater on the Moon has been named under Thales. Thales Academy
   In North Carolina, A network of private schools has named their school name under him Thales Group
   A France-based electronics and engineering company has named their company under his name.

Must Read These Also.

• Giuseppe Peano: Journey from a Farmer Boy to Great Mathematician
• Carl Friedrich Gauss : German Mathematician and Physicist

Quotes by Thales of Miletus

Water is the principle of all things; and that God is that Mind which shaped and created all things from water.

The most difficult thing in life is to know yourself.

The past is certain, the future obscure.

Nothing is more active than thought, for it travels over the universe, and nothing is stronger than the necessity for all must submit to it.

Other Mathematicians Talking about Thales of Miletus

may seem an unpromising beginning for science and philosophy as we know them today; but, against the background of mythology from which it arose, it was revolutionary.

It was Thales who first conceived the principle of explaining the multitude of phenomena by a small number of hypotheses for all the various manifestations of matter.

There are few other Greek Mathematicians like Him like Euclid, Archimedes, Hero of Alexandria and many more has done a lot of contribution in mathematics.

FAQ About Thales of Miletus

What is Thales most famous for?

Thales was the first mathematician and philosopher from Greek. He was the first to go against the mythology and use mathematics and science to find the truth of the universe.

How did Thales of Miletus die?

In 546 BC Thales of.Miletus kicked the bucket in Turkey due to heatstroke and heat exhaustion.

What did Thales discover in mathematics?

Thales discovered that one could use geometry to measure the distance of ships from the coast and the heights of pyramids and other things.

Why did Thales choose water?

Thales believed that all the matter in the universe is made up of water. He even used to think that the earth floats on water.

Who is the 1st philosopher?

Thales of.Miletus was the first Greek philosopher, and he is also known as the father of Western philosophy.

Who taught Thales?

Teacher of Thales of Miletus Anaximander, who used to teach philosophy in the Milesian School taught Thales. Thales learnt most of the things from his own observation and by experimenting and trying to figure out the facts behind things.

Why is Thales’s theory significant?

With his theory, he was able to predict the solar eclipse accurately.

What does Thales mean?

Thales is the name of a great Greek Mathematician who has derived the Thales Theorem.