The conchoid of Nicomedes: genesis and applications Authors José María Ayerbe Toledano DOI: 10.2436/20.2006.01.254 Keywords: trisection of any angle; duplication of the cube; conchoid; Nicomedes; Pappus; Proclus; Eutocius Abstract The three classic problems of Greek mathematics are the squaring of the circle, the trisection of any angle and the duplication of the cube. These problems were posed very early in Antiquity and were a permanent challenge for the Hellenic geometers, acting as true catalysts for the development of multiple advances in research. This paper analyzes the contributions made by Nicomedes to the solution of the last two through the introduction of a new curve that he himself called the «first line conchoid». The work critically compares the main available sources and reflects on the evolution of the concept of curve in the Greek period. Downloads PDF (Español) Issue Vol. 18 (2025) Section Articles License The intellectual property of articles belongs to the respective authors.On submitting articles for publication to the journal Actes d’Història de la Ciència i de la Tècnica, authors accept the following terms:Authors assign to Societat Catalana d’Història de la Ciència i de la Tècnica (a subsidiary of Institut d’Estudis Catalans) the rights of reproduction, communication to the public and distribution of the articles submitted for publication to Actes d’Història de la Ciència i de la Tècnica.Authors answer to Societat Catalana d’Història de la Ciència i de la Tècnica (SCHCT) for the authorship and originality of submitted articles.Authors are responsible for obtaining permission for the reproduction of all graphic material included in articles.SCHCT declines all liability for the possible infringement of intellectual property rights by authors.The contents published in the journal, unless otherwise stated in the text or in the graphic material, are subject to a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs (by-nc-nd) 3.0 Spain licence, the complete text of which may be found at http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/es/deed.en. Consequently, the general public is authorised to reproduce, distribute and communicate the work, provided that its authorship and the body publishing it are acknowledged, and that no commercial use and no derivative works are made of it.Actes d’Història de la Ciència i de la Tècnica is not responsible for the ideas and opinions expressed by the authors of the published articles.
