History of Computers - John Napier
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Page created by: Jodi Rybarczyk
John Napier (1550-1617), Scottish mathematician, scholar, and inventor, is most renowned for his discovery of the logarithm. He is also responsible for the invention of Napier's Bones, one of the most revolutionary developments in calculation devices.
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Contents
Overview
John Napier was born into the Scottish nobility Merchiston, Scotland in 1550.[2] He entered school at the age of 13 but left to travel Europe shortly thereafter. Historians speculate that he went to Europe to continue his studies, but little is actually known about those years. In 1572, Napier returned to Merchiston, where he divided his life between theology and mathematics. Because of his private personal wealth, Napier did not need a professional occupation. Instead, he immersed himself in religious and political matters. In 1593, he published A Plain Discovery of the Whole Revelation of Saint John, an widely popular anti-Catholic book. Napier always believed that if he enjoyed any success, it would be a result of that book. [3]
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However, Napier, today, is actually best known for founding the logarithm, a concept which employs the use of an exponent to simplify a larger number. His discovery was first published in 1614 in his work A Description of the Wonderful Canon of Logarithms. [5] In 1617, in a book titled Rabdologia, Napier introduced an abacus called Napier's Bones or Napier's Rods. The original instrument consisted of a wooden box containing ten rods, corresponding to the digits 0-9. The calculating device reduced multiplication to a sequence of simple additions; division and square roots could also be achieved. [6]
Napier furthermore produced rules of spherical trigonometry and described the decimal point, enabling calculations to be made without the use of complex fractions. Napier died at his Merchiston estate in 1617, leaving behind a wife, eleven children, and the legacy of an unmatched mathematical genius. [7]
Significance
Even though John Napier lived far before the time of the computer, his life had a tremendous impact on its invention. Through the development of logarithms and his “Bones,” Napier influenced many of the early inventors of calculation aids and devices. William Oughtred developed the Slide Rule. on the basis of Napier's work, and Wilhelm Schickard modified Napier’s Bones for use in a mechanical calculating device. Computers were developed to ease the burden of performing long, complex mathematical calculations by hand or with clumsy, limited mechanical calculating devices Simplifying the process of calculation in an efficient and effective manner, Napier's inventions were large steps toward the advent of the computer.
References
- ↑ Image of John Napier
- ↑ John Napier Website.
- ↑ Napier's Religion
- ↑ Image of Napier's Bones
- ↑ Napier's Mathematics
- ↑ Napier's Bones
- ↑ John Napier Bio
