Bartholomäus Pitiscus

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Photo library df tg 0004503 Geometry ^ Trigonometry.jpg

Bartholomäus Pitiscus (born August 24, 1561 in Grünberg , Principality of Glogau , † July 2, 1613 in Heidelberg ) was a mathematician and theologian. From him the name trigonometry comes .

Life

Pitiscus became a Calvinist during his time in Breslau (1579 to 1583) under the influence of Leonhard Krenzheim and Abraham Buchholzer. He studied Calvinistic theology in Zerbst and from 1584 at the University of Heidelberg with a master's degree in 1587. After working as a private tutor in Breslau, he became court chaplain and in 1594 in Heidelberg chief court preacher to the Elector of the Palatinate , Frederick the Sincere , whose education he was 1584 had taken over. At that time the father of Friedrich IV died and his uncle Johann Casimir von Simmern , a Calvinist, engaged Pitiscus. He worked at the same time at the Heidelberg court with the theologian Abraham Scultetus , who also came from Grünberg / Silesia . In 1610 he gave the funeral oration for Frederick IV.

plant

Trigonometriae , 1612

In addition to theological writings, Pitiscus wrote mathematical works. He worked closely with Jakob Christmann . His most important contribution was Trigonometria: sive de solutione triangulorum tractatus brevis et perspicuus from 1595 (initially as an appendix to Sphaericorum libri tres by Abraham Scultetus) and in expanded new editions in 1600, 1608 and 1612. In his book he coined the word trigonometry ("triangular measurement") ). The five-volume work was translated into English in 1614 and into French in 1619 (only the plates in the French translation). It also dealt with spherical trigonometry and contained five or six-digit of all trigonometric functions for each minute of arc. A third part deals with applications (geodesy, astronomy). At that time the work was used as a textbook at many universities such as Wittenberg.

His Thesaurus mathematicus from 1613 improved the trigonometric tables of the Rheticus (Opus palatinum de triangulis 1586) through his own calculations, including sine values ​​in some cases to 22 digits (for small angles, otherwise 15 digits). They were the best trigonometric tables of the time. He also used manuscripts from Rheticus.

Sometimes the first use of the decimal point is ascribed to him, but it was used before ( Francesco Pellos ). John Napier adopted the decimal point in his writings.

His theological writings include sermons, theological reports, a report on the Reformed Church in Germany and a polemic against the Württemberg Church.

He was the grandson of the philologist Samuel Pitiscus (1637-1727).

Others

The lunar crater Pitiscus was named after him.

Fonts

  • Trigonometria: sive de solutione triangulorum tractatus brevis et perspicuus . 1595
  • Canon Triangulorum Emendatissimus, Et Ad Usum Accommodatissimus; Pertinens Ad Trigonometriam Bartholomaei Pitisci Grunbergensis Silesii . [Sl] 1608 ( digitized version )
  • Bartholomaei Pitisci Grunbergensis Silesij Trigonometriae Sive De dimensione Triangulorum Libri Quinque . Ed. secunda, Et Aucta additis multis non vulgaribus. 1609 ( digitized version )
  • Canon Triangulorum Emendatissimus, Et Ad Usum Accommodatissimus; Pertinens Ad Trigonometriam Bartholomaei Pitisci Grunbergensis Silesi . Francofurti 1612 ( digitized version )
  • Bartholomaei Pitisci Grunbergensis Silesij Trigonometriae Sive De dimensione Triangulor (um) Libri Quinque . Francofurti 1612 ( digitized version )
  • Thesaurus mathematicus . 1613

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ reconstruction: http://locomat.loria.fr/locomat/reconstructed.html
  2. ↑ Robert E. Krebs: Groundbreaking scientific experiments, inventions, and discoveries of the Middle Ages and the Renaissance . Greenwood Publishing Group, 2004, ISBN 0-313-32433-6 , pp. 153 ( limited preview in Google Book search).

literature

Web links

personal data
SURNAME Pitiscus, Bartholomew
BRIEF DESCRIPTION German mathematician
DATE OF BIRTH August 24, 1561
PLACE OF BIRTH Grünberg , Principality of Glogau
DATE OF DEATH July 2, 1613
Place of death Heidelberg