Euclid Division Lemma: Origins & Legacy

[Suyogya]

If the euclid division lemma was not discovered by euclid himself, then why was the name "euclid lemma"? (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Euclidean_division#History)

 

[Mark44]

If the euclid division lemma was not discovered by euclid himself, then why was the name "euclid lemma"? (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Euclidean_division#History)

From the same article, "it seems that he did not know the existence and uniqueness theorem". My interpretation is that he (Euclid) could perform the division, but was unaware of the details of existence and uniqueness.

 

[andrewkirk]

Further down in the same section of the wiki it says:

The term "Euclidean division" was introduced during the 20th century as a shorthand for "division of Euclidean rings".

 

[mfb]

A case of Stigler's law of eponymy: Nothing is named by its inventor/discoverer, including this law.
Often things are named after people who made something more widely known, or extended existing knowledge a lot.

 

[fresh_42]

Euclidean are usually all geometric concepts, a flat geometry until Bolyai. His Elements were for 2000 years the first and most important books in mathematics. It is somehow natural to name Euclid's algorithm after him, as it is basically a geometric question.