Mathematical Treasure: Paul Pfinzing’s Methodvs Geometrica

Author(s):

Frank J. Swetz (The Pennsylvania State University)

Paul Pfinzing (1554–1599) was a German cartographer and mathematician. He lived and worked in Nuremberg. Pfinzing wrote several books on land measurement and perspective, with his major work, Methodus Geometrica, appearing in 1598.

Title page for 1598 Methodvs Geometrica by Paul Pfinzing.

Previous owners colored decorative elements and added full-color geometrical diagrams and drawings, such as those shown on the following sample pages:

Foreword to 1598 Methodvs Geometrica by Paul Pfinzing.

Folio 2 from 1598 Methodvs Geometrica by Paul Pfinzing.

Folio 5 from 1598 Methodvs Geometrica by Paul Pfinzing.

Folio 31 from 1598 Methodvs Geometrica by Paul Pfinzing.

Folio 33 from 1598 Methodvs Geometrica by Paul Pfinzing.

Folio 34 from 1598 Methodvs Geometrica by Paul Pfinzing.

The images above are provided courtesy of Bamberg State Library. A full digitization of this text is available here, with a second, uncolored copy held by the library available here.

Index to Mathematical Treasures

Frank J. Swetz (The Pennsylvania State University), "Mathematical Treasure: Paul Pfinzing’s Methodvs Geometrica," Convergence (April 2022)

Convergence

Tags:

History of Mathematics