Eudoxus was born in Cnidus in 408 BC. He received his mathematics training in Tarentum under the Pythagoreans where he became one of Plato's students. Afterward, he accompanied Plato in his journey to Egypt. While there, Eudoxus established a school in Cyzicus. Some time later, Eudoxus traveled to Athens with his pupils, where he became a public figure. Unfortunately, the xenophobic population of Athens and Plato's hostility forced Eudoxus to return home. He died on his way to Egypt in 355 BC.

His interests included astronomy, medicine, and politics, but he is most known because of his math. His work includes development of the Greek "method of exhaustions," several geometric theorems, and complex curves. His greatest contribution is found in the body of Euclid's fifth book. There, his development of the theory of proportions is clearly stated by Euclid, making many more advances possible.

Ball, Walter William Rouse. A Short Account of the History of Mathematics. New York: Dover 1960. 44-46.