<history of philosophy, biography> presocratic philosopher and mathematician (485-415 BC) who emphasized the use of empirical methods in pursuit of knowledge. Although his efforts to trisect the angle geometrically failed, they led Hippias to the discovery of the quadratrix, a curve satisfying the modern algebraic formula y = x tan(py/2a) , whose construction would render trisection of acute angles unproblematic.
[A Dictionary of Philosophical Terms and Names]
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