Mr. William Oughtred's Key of the Mathematicks. Newly Translated from the Best Edition With Notes, Rendering it Easie and Intelligble to less Skilful Readers. In which also, Some Problems Left Unanswer'd by the Author are Resolv'd. Absolutely necessary For all Gagers, Surveyors, Gunners, Military-Officers, Mariners, &c. Recommended by Mr. E. Halley, Fellow of the Royal Society

Oughtred, William; Halley, Edmond

Published by Printed for John Salusbury, at the Rising-Sun in Cornhil, London, 1694

About this Item

First edition in Halley's translation. In somewhat later leather. Spine with red title vignette. With several charts and woodcut diagrams. (4), 208 p. First English edition in Edmond Halley's translation of Oughtred's classic work, Clavis Mathematicae. William Oughtred (1574-1660) was an English mathematician, best known for his invention of the slide rule based on logarithms. He introduced the "×" symbol for multiplication (see p. 3 of the present work), the abbreviations "sin" and "cos" for the trigonometric functions sine and cosine, and the proportion sign ("::"). Oughtred was appointed by Thomas Howard, second earl of Arundel to teach his son mathematics. Arithmeticae in numeris et speciebus institutio [Clavis Mathematicae], the Latin version of the Key of the Mathematicks was compiled for this pupil and published first in 1631. The book was first translated into English by Robert Wood, this translation was made by Edmond Halley (1656-1741) the English astronomer, geophysicist, mathematician, meteorologist, and physicist. Provenance: Possessor's inscriptions and notes by Gabriel Stokes (or Stoakes). Stokes (1682-1768) was a Dubliner land-surveyor, mathematical instrument-maker, best known as a cartographer and the author of the book "A scheme for effectually supplying every part of the city of Dublin with pipe-water" (1735). . Ownership inscription of Gabriel Stokes on title page and p. 1. and 104. With marginal notes and diagrams in ink by Stokes throughout. Binding and title page artistically restored. Paper tanned due to ageing. Overall in very good condition. In somewhat later leather. Spine with red title vignette. With several charts and woodcut diagrams. Seller Inventory # 1525

Bibliographic Details

Title: Mr. William Oughtred's Key of the ...

Publisher: Printed for John Salusbury, at the Rising-Sun in Cornhil, London

Publication Date: 1694

Binding: Hardcover

Edition: First edition in Halley's translation.