Definition:Pythagoreans/Quadrivium

Definition

The quadrivium was the medieval name of the required course of study of the Pythagoreans, which had been adopted by the educational establishments in Europe.

The required bodies of knowledge were divided into discrete and continuous:

Thus:

Arithmetic: study of the absolute discrete

Music: study of the relative discrete

Geometry: study of the stable continuous

Astronomy: study of the moving continuous.

Also see

• Definition:Trivium

Linguistic Note

The word quadrivium is a Latin word meaning the four ways, or place where four roads meet (that is, literally: crossroads).

Sources

• 1980: David M. Burton: Elementary Number Theory (revised ed.) ... (previous) ... (next): Chapter $1$: Some Preliminary Considerations: $1.3$ Early Number Theory
• 1986: David Wells: Curious and Interesting Numbers ... (previous) ... (next): $4$
• 1992: George F. Simmons: Calculus Gems ... (previous) ... (next): Chapter $\text {A}.2$: Pythagoras (ca. $\text {580}$ – $\text {500}$ B.C.)
• 1997: David Wells: Curious and Interesting Numbers (2nd ed.) ... (previous) ... (next): $4$