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Mathematical Treasure: Luca Pacioli's Geometry

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

Luca Pacioli published excerpts from his 1494 Summa de arithmetica, geometria, … as separate texts. One such volume, entitled Cose di geometria, appeared as a manuscript in Venice in 1495 or later. Here are sample selections from the manuscript.

The images above were 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. 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 488.

Index to Mathematical Treasures

 

Frank J. Swetz (The Pennsylvania State University), "Mathematical Treasure: Luca Pacioli's Geometry," Convergence (February 2019)