Archimedes' Hydrostatics and the Birth of Mathematical Physics

A philosophical question:  how come mathematics applies to the physical world?  A historical question:  why was mathematics applied to the physical world?  To approach both questions, we consider the first text clearly dedicated to mathematical physics, Archimedes' "Floating Bodies".  Archimedes derives the principle of buoyancy and uses it to determine the conditions of stability of various solids.  In the talk, we will collect hints to Archimedes' underlying thought processes.  Briefly:  mathematical physics was born as a kind of "mathematics". 

You can learn more about Professor Reviel Netz at https://classics.stanford.edu/people/reviel-netz