John Napier (1550-1617),Scottish mathematician. Napier,from a wealthy family,was educated in France and at St Andrews in Scotland. He studied mathematics as a hobby and published his first logarithm tables in 1614,also developing decimal notation. For the log tables he chose the transendental number e (approximately 2.717) as the base. These Napierian,or natural,logarithms are most relevant to exponential systems. His logarithms were a key mathematical advance that greatly helped Kepler in his calculations of planetary motion. This 1870 engraving by Samuel Freeman is based on a 1616 painting held at the University of Edinburgh | |
Lizenzart: | Lizenzpflichtig |
Credit: | Science Photo Library / NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY / MIRIAM AND IRA D. WALLACH DIVISION OF ART, PRINTS AND PHOTOGRAPHS |
Bildgröße: | 2976 px × 3541 px |
Modell-Rechte: | nicht erforderlich |
Eigentums-Rechte: | nicht erforderlich |
Restrictions: | - |