Diagrams in ancient Greek practical mathematics

This article examines the contexts, conventions, and functions of diagrams in ancient Greek practical mathematics. In particular it argues that they play a central cognitive role in a reader’s engagement with problem texts, despite the variation between papyri and individual problem texts. The diagrams serve as structured aids to scribal calculation, aid memory in complex problems, and allow for the verification of results. The article also presents a complete survey and detailed commentary on all known geometrical diagrams preserved in published Greek mathematical papyri, providing a new reference point for the study of diagrams in ancient Greek practical geometry.