1. Under the impetus of Euclid, mathematics has gradually become a fashionable topic in people's lives (which is diametrically opposed to today's society), so that King Ptolemy I Soter of Alexandria at that time also wanted to catch up with this fashion and learn some geometry. Although the king is well-informed, Euclidean geometry is difficult for him to learn. So he asked Euclid? Are there any shortcuts to learning geometry? Euclid smiled. I'm sorry, your majesty! Learning mathematics, like learning all sciences, has no shortcuts. When learning mathematics, everyone should think independently, just like planting crops. If you don't work hard, you will get nothing. In this respect, kings are the same as ordinary people. ? Since then,? In geometry, there is no paved road for kings. ? This sentence has become an eternal learning motto.
At that time, people built tall pyramids, but no one knew how high they were. Some people say that it is more difficult to measure the height of the pyramid than to climb to the sky! ? This word reached Euclid's ears. He smiled and told others: What's so hard about that? When your shadow is as long as your body, measure how long the shadow of the pyramid is, and that length is equal to the height of the pyramid! ?
3. More and more people come to learn geometry from Euclid. Some people come to join in the fun. They see others learning geometry, and they learn geometry themselves. Stobeus (about 500) tells another story. A student once asked Euclid: Teacher, Euclid pondered the benefits of studying geometry and asked the servant to give some money to the students. Euclid said: Give him three coins because he wants to get real benefits from his study.
One day, a group of young people came to the Woods outside Athens? Plato College? . I saw the door closed, and there was a board hanging at the door, which read: Those who don't know math are not allowed to enter! ? This is a rule set by Plato himself. In order to let the students know that he attaches importance to mathematics, it confuses the young people who come to ask for advice. Some people are thinking, because I don't know math, so I came to ask for advice. If I know, why are you here? Just when people looked at each other and didn't know whether it was time to return or enter, Euclid came out of the crowd, only to see him adjust his clothes, look at the brand, and then decisively pushed open the door of the college and went in without looking back.