Diophantus

Diophantus was a Hellenistic Greek mathematician who is considered the father of algebra by many mathematicians. He wrote a series of books called Arithmetica, which deal with solving algebraic equations with integer coefficients and solutions. He also introduced algebraic notation and symbolism, such as using symbols for the unknown and its powers. He was interested in finding rational solutions to equations, and he developed methods of approximation and approximation quality. He also studied polygonal numbers, indeterminate equations, and number theory. His work influenced later mathematicians such as Pierre de Fermat, Leonhard Euler, and Carl Friedrich Gauss. Little is known about his life, except that he lived in Alexandria, Egypt, during the Roman era, probably between the 2nd and 3rd centuries CE. His exact dates of birth and death are uncertain, and so is his place of burial. He is sometimes referred to as Diophantus of Alexandria to distinguish him from other people with the same name.