Uncovering the 10 Classes of Ratios in Greek Mathematics

In summary, Charles Seife explains in his book 'ZERO THE BIOGRAPHY OF A DANGEROUS IDEA' that the Pythagoreans and later Greek Mathematicians focused on ratios in their pursuit of understanding nature. They eventually divided proportions into 10 distinct classes, each with unique names such as harmonic mean.
  • #1
Seneka
41
0
In the book 'ZERO THE BIOGRAPHY OF A DANGEROUS IDEA' Charles Seife says, "Because ratios were the key to understanding nature, the Pythagoreans and later Greek Mathematicians spent much of their energy investigating their properties. Eventually, they categorized proportions into 10 different classes with names like harmonic mean."
What are the 10 different classes?
 
Mathematics news on Phys.org
  • #2
Seneka said:
In the book 'ZERO THE BIOGRAPHY OF A DANGEROUS IDEA' Charles Seife says, "Because ratios were the key to understanding nature, the Pythagoreans and later Greek Mathematicians spent much of their energy investigating their properties. Eventually, they categorized proportions into 10 different classes with names like harmonic mean."
What are the 10 different classes?
The first hit on the Google search result for Greek Mathematicians 10 classes of ratios is a PDF which looks like it might answer your question... :smile:
 

1. What are the 10 different classes of ratio?

The 10 different classes of ratio are: 1) liquidity ratios, 2) profitability ratios, 3) solvency ratios, 4) efficiency ratios, 5) leverage ratios, 6) coverage ratios, 7) growth ratios, 8) valuation ratios, 9) activity ratios, and 10) risk ratios.

2. How are liquidity ratios different from profitability ratios?

Liquidity ratios measure a company's ability to meet its short-term financial obligations, while profitability ratios measure a company's ability to generate profits from its operations.

3. Can you provide an example of a solvency ratio?

A common solvency ratio is the debt-to-equity ratio, which measures a company's level of debt in comparison to its equity. A higher ratio indicates a higher level of financial risk.

4. What is the purpose of efficiency ratios?

Efficiency ratios measure how well a company is utilizing its assets and resources to generate revenue. They can help identify areas of improvement and increase overall productivity.

5. How are valuation ratios useful for investors?

Valuation ratios, such as the price-to-earnings ratio, can give investors insight into how a company's stock is priced relative to its earnings. This can help them make informed decisions about buying or selling stocks.

Similar threads

  • Art, Music, History, and Linguistics
Replies
1
Views
999
  • MATLAB, Maple, Mathematica, LaTeX
Replies
1
Views
2K
Replies
11
Views
3K
  • MATLAB, Maple, Mathematica, LaTeX
2
Replies
39
Views
4K
  • MATLAB, Maple, Mathematica, LaTeX
Replies
1
Views
2K
  • MATLAB, Maple, Mathematica, LaTeX
Replies
6
Views
3K
  • MATLAB, Maple, Mathematica, LaTeX
Replies
7
Views
2K
  • MATLAB, Maple, Mathematica, LaTeX
Replies
9
Views
2K
  • MATLAB, Maple, Mathematica, LaTeX
Replies
1
Views
2K
  • MATLAB, Maple, Mathematica, LaTeX
Replies
1
Views
2K
Back
Top