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    $\begingroup$ 1800 years after the 3rd century BCE is the 16th century CE, or the 1500s. I don't know if it's true that the question of Apollonius was answered in the 1500s, but anyway that question is not the one that has been answered now. $\endgroup$ Commented Sep 26, 2025 at 23:27
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    $\begingroup$ I agree with @ZachTeitler, I think this answer is based on a misunderstanding of the Quanta article, which was just using the question of Apollonius of Perga as an example to motivate the general area of enumerative geometry. $\endgroup$ Commented Sep 27, 2025 at 0:45
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    $\begingroup$ en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Problem_of_Apollonius says that Apollonius himself solved it. The 16th century seems to refer to Adriaan van Roomen, whose solution appears to be the oldest surviving in full detail. $\endgroup$ Commented Sep 27, 2025 at 1:56