You are here

Mathematical Treasure: Nicolas Bion’s Traité de la construction et des principaux usages des instrumens de mathematique

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

Nicolas Bion (ca 1656–1733) was a French maker of mathematical instruments whose 1709 instruction manual, Traité de la construction et principaux usages des instruments de mathematique, was highly influential.

Title page from Bion's 1709 Traité de la construction et des principaux usages des instrumens de mathematique.

Bion began with discussions and illustrations of elementary solid geometry.

Plate 2 from Bion's 1709 Traité de la construction et des principaux usages des instrumens de mathematique.

Plate 3 included the basic tools needed for geometrical drawing.

Plate 3 from Bion's 1709 Traité de la construction et des principaux usages des instrumens de mathematique.

The sector was one of the instruments whose construction was covered in the book.

Plate 6 from Bion's 1709 Traité de la construction et des principaux usages des instrumens de mathematique.

The images above are presented courtesy of Bibliothèque nationale de France (BnF), which offers a complete digitization via Gallica.

Index to Mathematical Treasures

Frank J. Swetz (The Pennsylvania State University), "Mathematical Treasure: Nicolas Bion’s Traité de la construction et des principaux usages des instrumens de mathematique," Convergence (December 2022)