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Mathematical Treasure: Napier's Logarithms in English

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

John Napier originally published his theory of logarithms in 1614 under the title, Mirifici Logarithmorum Canonis. The work was written in the scholarly Latin of the time. In 1618, an English language translation by Edward Wright was published in London under the title, A Declaration of the Admirable Table of Logarithmes. Henry Briggs appended an "Instrumental Table" to the work. The title page and the first two pages of text of this book are shown here.

For images from Napier's 1614 work on logarithms, see "Mathematical Treasure: John Napier's Mirifici Logarithmorum."

The images above are used through the courtesy of the Lilly Library, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana.

Index to Mathematical Treasures

Frank J. Swetz (The Pennsylvania State University), "Mathematical Treasure: Napier's Logarithms in English ," Convergence (August 2019)