John Napier

For other people with the same name, see John Napier (disambiguation).

John Napier or Neper, nicknamed Marvellous Merchiston (1550–April 4, 1617) was a Scottish mathematician, physicist,astronomer/astrologer and eighth Laird of Merchiston. He is most remembered as the inventor of logarithms and Napier's bones, and for popularizing the use of the decimal point. Napier's birth place, Merchiston Tower, Edinburgh, Scotland, is now part of Napier University.

Advances in mathematics

Napier is relatively little-known outside mathematical and engineering circles, where he made what is undoubtedly a key advance in the use of mathematics. Logarithms made calculations by hand much easier and quicker, and thereby opened the way to many later scientific advances. His work, Mirifici Logarithmorum Canonis Descriptio, contained thirty-seven pages of explanatory matter and ninety pages of tables, which facilitated the furtherment of astronomy, dynamics, physics, and astrology.

Other inventions

Napier's powers of invention were not confined to logarithms. He published a small treatise on a simple way to perform multiplication, the Rabdologiae, introducing a calculating device which became known as Napier's Rods or Napier's Bones. In an appendix he explained another method of multiplication and division using metal plates, which was the direct antecedant of the slide rule, a mechanical means of calculation.

Another useful idea of his is Neper/Napier's circle (sometimes called Neper/Napier's pentagon), a mnemonic for spherical trigonometry.

A number of "secret inventions" were described by his contemporaries, including a round chariot that was an early version of a tank, giant mirrors which could burn the sails of enemy ships, a submarine, and an artillery piece that could apparently destroy a whole field of soldiers. He is also believed to have one of the first inventions of the machine gun, testing it on a herd of sheep.

Theology

Napier used some of his mathematical talents for theology, as he used the Book of Revelation to predict the Apocalypse. Napier believed that the end of the world would occur in 1688 or 1700. He is also sometimes claimed to have been a necromancer; however, it was common for scientifically talented people of the period to be accused of such things without basis.

He is buried in St Cuthbert's Church, Edinburgh. He was the father of Robert Napier.

Honours

A very little-used unit used in electrical engineering, the neper, is named after John Napier, as is Napier University in Edinburgh.

Neper crater, on the Moon, is also named after him.

External links

Explanation of Napier's Bones
Short biography and translation of work on logarithms
Intro to Spherical Trig. Includes discussion of The Napier circle and Napier's rules
New Scotsman article

Bibiography

(1614) Mirifici logarithmorum canonis descriptio
(1617) Rhabdologia