Whose formula is l × b × h

The formula l × b × h (length × breadth × height) for calculating the volume of a rectangular prism is not attributed to any single mathematician—it's a fundamental geometric principle that has been understood since ancient times across multiple civilizations. This formula represents basic volumetric calculation derived from the concept that volume equals the area of a shape's base multiplied by its height, and for rectangles, the base area is length times breadth. Ancient Egyptian, Babylonian, Greek, and Chinese mathematicians all understood and applied rectangular volume calculations in practical contexts like construction and land measurement.

While we can't credit one inventor, the systematic development of geometric formulas appears in Euclid's "Elements" (circa 300 BCE), which formalized many geometric principles including volume calculations, though the concept predates even Euclid's work. The elegance of l × b × h lies in its intuitive derivation: if you think of a rectangular prism as stacked layers, each layer has area l × b, and stacking h units high naturally leads to l × b × h total volume. This formula serves as the foundation for understanding more complex volume calculations—cylinders, for instance, follow the same base-times-height principle (πr²h), just with a circular base. The formula's universality and simplicity make it one of the first volume concepts taught in education worldwide, and it remains essential in fields ranging from architecture and shipping to manufacturing and scientific research. Its lack of attribution to a single person reflects how some mathematical truths are so fundamental that they were independently discovered and used across different cultures throughout history.