Square
From Encyclopedia of Mathematics
An equal-sided rectangle.
The square of a number $a$ is the product $a\cdot a=a^2$; so called because this product expresses the area of a square with side length $a$.
Comments
The expression "square" for $a\cdot a$ is (just as "cube" for $a\cdot a\cdot a$) a remnant of the geometric view on numbers of the old Greeks.
How to Cite This Entry:
Square. Encyclopedia of Mathematics. URL: http://encyclopediaofmath.org/index.php?title=Square&oldid=31458
Square. Encyclopedia of Mathematics. URL: http://encyclopediaofmath.org/index.php?title=Square&oldid=31458
This article was adapted from an original article by BSE-3 (originator), which appeared in Encyclopedia of Mathematics - ISBN 1402006098. See original article