# What did the recovered text change about Archimedes' mathematics? · Archimedes Palimpsest > Four answers have been proposed. Newly read passages of The Method show Archimedes treating infinitely many objects as completed wholes and… leads, with… Source: https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/archimedes-palimpsest/questions/QST0CT7N4KG76TA/what-did-the-recovered-text-change-about-archimedes Publisher: Mysteries Department Licence: CC BY 4.0 (credit Mysteries Department and link the page) Updated: 2026-10-26T11:56:52+00:00 --- **0** # What did the recovered text change about Archimedes' mathematics? Asked 26 Oct 2026 by [**apollo** ](https://mysteriesdept.com/u/apollo)·Part of [Did the imaging programme recover the erased Archimedes text wherever the parchment survives?](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/archimedes-palimpsest/questions/QST0CT7N43W11MX/did-the-imaging-programme-recover-the-erased-archimedes-text)·4 answers·0·0 following **Most likely: newly read passages of The Method show Archimedes treating infinitely many objects as completed wholes and…** Ahead on the evidence, not yet confirmed. It needs two reviews to be accepted. ## Where it stands Four answers have been proposed. Newly read passages of The Method show Archimedes treating infinitely many objects as completed wholes and… leads, with evidence 1 for: partly supported by its tests. Three are still possible. ## Why it matters The Method and the Stomachion survive only here. The project's scholar argued that the new readings show reasoning not previously credited to Archimedes⁠[[1]](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0CT7MWHP1S9M/the-archimedes-codex-revealing-the-secrets-of-the-worlds). ## Answers 4 [**Newly read passages of The Method show Archimedes treating infinitely many objects as completed wholes and…** ](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/archimedes-palimpsest/answers/ANS0CT7N88P0TDP/newly-read-passages-of-the-method-show-archimedes-treating) Partly supported by its tests Evidence: 1 for Most likely [**The Stomachion is a study of how many ways the dissected square can be reassembled, an early work of…** ](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/archimedes-palimpsest/answers/ANS0CT7N8RA3QRV/the-stomachion-is-a-study-of-how-many-ways-the-dissected) Partly supported by its tests Evidence: 1 against Most likely [**The new readings refine Heiberg's text but do not change the established picture of Archimedes' methods.** ](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/archimedes-palimpsest/answers/ANS0CT7N97Y2BRV/the-new-readings-refine-heibergs-text-but-do-not-change-the) Partly supported by its tests Evidence: 1 for Most likely [**None of these.** ](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/archimedes-palimpsest/answers/ANS0CT7N9QJ0KJV/none-of-these) Not tested enough to call either way Evidence: none yet Still possible ## History 1. 1915[Heiberg: heiberg had already read and published The Method and the Stomachion from the palimpsest in 1910 to 1915.](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0CT7MXRR2PY3/archimedis-opera-omnia-cum-commentariis-eutocii-2nd-edition)For: The new readings refine Heiberg's text but do not change the established picture of Archimedes' methods. 1. 2007[Netz & Noel puts forward: newly read passages of The Method show Archimedes treating infinitely many objects as completed wholes and…](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0CT7MWHP1S9M/the-archimedes-codex-revealing-the-secrets-of-the-worlds) 1. 2007[Netz & Noel puts forward: the Stomachion is a study of how many ways the dissected square can be reassembled, an early work of…](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0CT7MWHP1S9M/the-archimedes-codex-revealing-the-secrets-of-the-worlds) 1. 2007[Netz & Noel: netz's reading rests on passages recovered by the new imaging and is argued in the project's account.](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0CT7MWHP1S9M/the-archimedes-codex-revealing-the-secrets-of-the-worlds)For: Newly read passages of The Method show Archimedes treating infinitely many objects as completed wholes and… 1. 2013[Acerbi: only a short fragment of the Stomachion survives, which limits any reading of its aim.](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0CT7MX1A5S21/review-of-the-archimedes-palimpsest-ed-netz-noel-tchernetska)Against: The Stomachion is a study of how many ways the dissected square can be reassembled, an early work of… 1. 26 Oct 2026Asked on this site ## Discussion 0 [Add to the discussion](https://mysteriesdept.com/signin?next=/mysteries/archimedes-palimpsest/questions/QST0CT7N4KG76TA/what-did-the-recovered-text-change-about-archimedes%23discussion) Help with this question [ **Propose an answer** Something the evidence could support or rule out ] [ **Propose an answer** Something the evidence could support or rule out ](https://mysteriesdept.com/signin?next=/mysteries/archimedes-palimpsest/questions/QST0CT7N4KG76TA/what-did-the-recovered-text-change-about-archimedes%23add-answer) [ **Add evidence** A result for or against an answer ] [ **Add evidence** A result for or against an answer ](https://mysteriesdept.com/signin?next=/mysteries/archimedes-palimpsest/questions/QST0CT7N4KG76TA/what-did-the-recovered-text-change-about-archimedes%23add-evidence) [ **Ask a sub-question** A smaller question that would help settle this one ] [ **Ask a sub-question** A smaller question that would help settle this one ](https://mysteriesdept.com/signin?next=/mysteries/archimedes-palimpsest/questions/QST0CT7N4KG76TA/what-did-the-recovered-text-change-about-archimedes%23add-question) [ **Add a source** A paper, archive record or image ] [ **Add a source** A paper, archive record or image ](https://mysteriesdept.com/signin?next=/mysteries/archimedes-palimpsest/questions/QST0CT7N4KG76TA/what-did-the-recovered-text-change-about-archimedes%23add-source) Where it fits Archimedes Palimpsest [**Did the imaging programme recover the erased Archimedes text wherever the parchment survives?** ](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/archimedes-palimpsest/questions/QST0CT7N43W11MX/did-the-imaging-programme-recover-the-erased-archimedes-text)Key question · Multispectral imaging and X-ray fluorescence together recovered the Archimedes undertext on every surviving… [Is the 2011 transcription of the Archimedes text reliable?](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/archimedes-palimpsest/questions/QST0CT7N4BP1E80/is-the-2011-transcription-of-the-archimedes-text-reliable)Most likely · the Netz and Wilson transcription is reliable apart from minor points of notation **What did the recovered text change about Archimedes' mathematics?** You're here · newly read passages of The Method show Archimedes treating infinitely many objects as completed wholes and… [What in the palimpsest remains unread or unidentified?](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/archimedes-palimpsest/questions/QST0CT7N4VA52VA/what-in-the-palimpsest-remains-unread-or-unidentified)Most likely · much of what remains is physically lost to scraping, mould and missing leaves and cannot be recovered by any… [ Ask a question under this one ]