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Mathematical Treasure: Letter from Torricelli to Mersenne

Author(s): 
Frank J. Swetz (The Pennsylvania State University)

A letter from Evangelista Torricelli (1608-1647) to Marin Mersenne (1588-1648), dated January 9, 1645, discusses the quality of a lens obtained by Grand Duke Ferdinando II of Tuscany, along with some issues in spherical geometry.

The image above was obtained through the kind cooperation of the University of Pennsylvania Libraries, The Lawrence J. Schoenberg Collection of Late and Early Renaissance Manuscripts, Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts. Lawrence Schoenberg, a successful businessman and collector of early scientific manuscripts, donated his collection to the University of Pennsylvania. The item shown here is fully digitized and may be consulted and copied in its entirety with due credit provided, including its reference number, LJS 201.

Index to Mathematical Treasures

Frank J. Swetz (The Pennsylvania State University), "Mathematical Treasure: Letter from Torricelli to Mersenne," Convergence (November 2015)