• Journal for History of Mathematics
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.131-152
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• 2009

The Eudoxean theory of Proportion is correlated with 'Dedekind cut' with which Dedekind defined the real number system in modern usage. Dedekind established a firm foundation for the real number system by retracing some of Eudoxus' steps of over two thousand years earlier. Thus it should be quite worthy that we separate Greek inheritance from the definition of Dedekind, However, there is a fundamental difference between Eudoxean theory of proportion and Dedekind cut. Basically, it seems impossible for Greeks to distinguish between the distinction between number and magnitude. In this paper, we will consider how the Eudoxean theory of proportion was related to Dedekind cut introduced to prove the Dedekind's real number completion and how it influenced Dedekind cut by looking at the relation between Eudoxos's explication of the notion of ratio and Dedekind's well-known construction of the real numbers.