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What you say makes a lot of sense.

However, notation actually does affect the ideas, and deeply. Euclid did not consider 1 a number, for perfectly sound reasons. Multiplication is a very different animal in Euclid's math, and his proportions are not just funny-looking fractions.

Overall, you are right. If someone is looking to get a broad survey of mathematics, Euclid is not a good source. But to start from scratch and learn rigorous math-by-proof, he has no equal.



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