John Napier, Napier also spelled Neper, (born 1550, Merchiston Castle, near Edinburgh, Scot. —died April 4, 1617, Merchiston Castle), Scottish mathematician and theological writer who originated the concept of logarithms as a mathematical device to aid in calculations.

What did John Napier contribution to computers?

Napier was a Scottish mathematician and theological writer who came up with the concept of logarithms as a mathematical device to aid in calculations. It was the use of logarithms which formed the base for the invention of analog computers and slide rules.

What did John Napier study?

Napier’s study of mathematics was only a hobby and in his mathematical works he writes that he often found it hard to find the time for the necessary calculations between working on theology.

Who is the First Lady programmer?

Ada Lovelace is considered the first computer programmer. Even though she wrote about a computer, the Analytical Engine, that was never built, she realized that the computer could follow a series of simple instructions, a program, to perform a complex calculation.

Where did the name calculus come from?

“Calculus” comes into English from Latin and literally means a small stone used for counting, like the stones on an abacus. The verb form, “calculate,” makes its way into English in the late 16th century, while “caculus” doesn’t come in until the late 17th century.

When did John Napier develop logarithm?

The first published table of logarithms was in John Napier’s 1614, Mirifici Logarithmorum Canonis Descriptio (Description of the Wonderful Canon of Logarithms). The book contained fifty-seven pages of explanatory matter and ninety pages of tables of trigonometric functions and their natural logarithms.

What happened to Archimedes?

Archimedes was born about 287 BCE in Syracuse on the island of Sicily. He died in that same city when the Romans captured it following a siege that ended in either 212 or 211 BCE. One story told about Archimedes’ death is that he was killed by a Roman soldier after he refused to leave his mathematical work.

What did Blaise Pascal invent?

In December of 1639, Pascal’s father had moved the family to Rouen where he took a job as tax collector for the region. Pascal’s invention of the mechanical calculator in the early 1640s was born out of a desire to help his father in collecting taxes.

What were logarithms originally used for?

Invented in the 17th century to speed up calculations, logarithms vastly reduced the time required for multiplying numbers with many digits.

What significance and advantages did John Napier bring to man?

John Napier was a famous Scottish mathematician who is best known for his invention of logarithms which are used to help with mathematical calculations. He is also credited with bringing the decimal point into common use.