Overview

When John Napier published his invention of logarithms in 1614 he was announcing one of the greatest advances in the history of mathematics, and log tables were used universally until the mid 1970s. With his Rabdologia, an ingenious calculating tool composed of numbered rods which came to be known as 'Napier's Bones', he enabled people in the marketplace to do multiplication sums without knowing any multiplication tables. Perhaps the most extraordinary thing about this most extrordinary man was that his great inventions were made without the stimulus of talking to other mathematicians in mainstream Europe. Working away in comparative isolation in a tower house in Scotland, Napier produced methods of calculation that literally changed lives all over the world. He is the father of the slide-rule and the grandfather of today's calculators. Despite his achievements, he remains curiously uncelebrated, and this absorbing story of his life aims to give John Napier his true status. This new edition has been redesigned in a new format and has a new cover.

Full Product Details

9781901663709

Table of Contents

Reviews

What a wonderful little book: it is beautifully written and has wonderful photographs and illustrations ... Moreover it accomplishes its purpose, to give us a glimpse into the nature and times of John Napier.' History of Mathematics Newsletter 'This work offers a fascinating insight to a man whose name is know by all Scots, but whose work and mind reached far beyond the fields of maths and science.' Life and Work 'Although this is slender volume it is a delight to read, with numerous illustrations enhancing the well-written text. Not only are Napier's life and inventions described, but there are chapters which put these in context.' Mathematical Association News

Author Information

Lynne Gladstone-Millar is a freelance journalist and writer.

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