Illustrated, History of Mathematics & Science, Geometry, 1622 | Meetkonst in XXVII boecken vervat. Uit het Latijn in 't Neerduyts overgheset by Dirck Hendrickx Houtman. Oversien (.) door W. Snellium. Amsterdam, W.J. Blaeuw 1622, 4°. (20)+221+(5) pp.

Ramus, Petrus [=Pierre de la Ramee],

About this Item

4°. (20) 221 (5) pp. Full contemporary vellum binding. Illustrated with in-text woodcuts, and title page with a vignette. Binding slightly scuffed; first and last leaves slightly frayed. Minor browning. Small manuscript (ink) corrections on a few pages. Minor worming on a few margins, but not affecting the text. A good copy.A very rare, richly illustrated, important work in the history of science and mathematics in the Netherlands. This volume is the first Dutch-language textbook on geometry. The Dutch astronomer and mathematician Willebrord Snellius (1580-1626)--of Snell's Law on the refraction of light, famously used also by Descartes--assisted in its preparation. Working from the original Latin text of Petrus Ramus' (1515-1572) Geometriae, Snellius augmented, corrected, and annotated a Dutch-language translation by D.H. Houtman, prepared at Snellius' request. The Dutch mathematician also appended to the end his now-famous demonstration on the area of a triangle, considered fundamental to the history of trigonometry and a starting point in basic modern geodesy; it is still known today as the "Snellius problem" (or the "Snellius-Pothenot problem").The volume includes a poemattributed to Joost van den Vondel (1587-1679), the greatest poet and playwright of the Dutch Golden Age, in praise of Snellius.It is accompanied by a long poem called Loff van de Wijs-konst ("In Praise of Mathematics"), attributedto P.S.--almost certainly the Dutch writer and scholar Petrus Scriverius [1576-1660], given the use of his Latin motto,legendo et scribendo, at the close of the poem. The work's dedication was written by Houtman (a pastor at Loosdrecht) to Adriaan Pauw, then-ruler of Heemstede. The preface is by Snellius.B2265 - meetkunst - wiskunde - mathematica - wetenschapsgeschiedenis - zeldzaam rijk geillustreerd werk over de geschiedenis van de wiskunde - geometrie - de wet van Snellius - Vondel - lof der wiskunde De wet van Snellius of brekingswet is een natuurwet uit de optica die aangeeft hoe lichtstralen gebroken worden op de overgang van het ene medium naar het andere, bijvoorbeeld van lucht naar glas waarin het licht zich met verschillende fasesnelheden voortbeweegt.

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Bibliographic Details

• Title: Illustrated, History of Mathematics & Science, Geometry, 1622 | Meetkonst in XXVII boecken vervat. Uit het Latijn in 't Neerduyts overgheset by Dirck Hendrickx Houtman. Oversien (.) door W. Snellium. Amsterdam, W.J. Blaeuw 1622, 4°. (20)+221+(5) pp.
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