TARIFFA KIRCHERIANA ID EST INVENTVM AVCTHORIS NOVVM, MATHEM...

Estimate

£1,000 - £2,000

TARIFFA
KIRCHERIANA ID EST INVENTVM AVCTHORIS NOVVM, MATHEMATICS GEOMETRY NAVIGATION PYTHAGORAS TABLE
FIRST EDITION,
A geometry and arithmetic book in Latin, 316 pages, a preface and an index, 24 folding folios with drawings, a list of mistakes and corrections at the end, with an institute stamp, damaged spine, binding cover detached, marbled endpaper, slight foxing and watermarks
14x9.5x3cm / 261 grams
Athanasius Kircher (1602-1680)
Athanasius Kircher was a German Jesuit scholar and polymath of the 17th century. Renowned for his vast intellectual curiosity, Kircher published works on a wide range of subjects, including:• Mathematics: His book Tariffa (1603) stands as a significant 17th-century treatise on arithmetic, geometry, and trigonometry. Notably, it explores the applications of these mathematical principles in music and navigation. The book also features extensive use of Pythagorean tables, which are foundational for multiplication.
• Natural Sciences: Kircher's interests extended to the natural world, where he studied magnetism, geology, and medicine.
• Egyptology: Kircher's work on deciphering ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs, reflected in his book Oedipus Aegyptiacus (1654), laid the groundwork for the future study of Egyptology, though his methods were not entirely accurate.
Kircher's prolific scholarship and willingness to explore diverse fields earned him the title "Master of a Hundred Arts." Despite some limitations in his methodologies, his work significantly influenced the intellectual landscape of the 17th century.