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Apollonius of Perga was a Greek mathematician who lived from approximately 260 BC to 190 BC. One of his major written works, parts of which still exist, dealt with what is termed Conic Sections. His work is said to have influenced many later scholars, including Isaac Newton and René Descartes. Conic Sections deals with the shapes that you get when a cone is intersected by a plane. Essentially you can get one of four shapes, a circle, an ellipse, a parabola or a hyperbola. It is believed to be Apollonius who gave the last three shapes the names we use today. There was a time when most children in school learned about conic sections, although it is not so common nowadays. This beautiful hand made wooden version of the Apollonius Cone stands 27 cm high. It comes apart into five pieces, and shows the four shapes that are created by the different sections through the cone. It would make an elegant addition to any room, but will be especially appreciated by mathematicians. http://www.grand-illusions.com/acatalog/Apollonius_Cone.html
