Friedrich Amann

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Friedrich Amann (Latinized Fridericus ; † 1464 or 1465, probably in Regensburg ) was a German Benedictine , mathematician and astronomer of the 15th century.

Nothing specific is known about Amann's origins. It is possible that he is identical to a Fridericus Ammon de Wysenfelt (perhaps Waischenfeld in Upper Franconia ) who enrolled at the University of Leipzig in 1427 .

Between 1445 and 1465 Amann wrote a number of writings in the Benedictine Abbey of St. Emmeram in Regensburg, some of which dealt with questions of mathematics, astronomy and geography. To what extent he is to be seen as an author or rather as a compiler , however, remains unclear.

One of these writings is the Codex latinus Monacensis (Clm) 14908 from 1461. This collective manuscript contains a text that is considered to be the first textbook on algebra in German. Amann describes the resolution of the six types of linear and quadratic equations that go back to Al-Chwarizmi . The writing begins with the words "Machmet [Al-Chwarizmi] in the puech algebra vnd almalcobula has said this word: Census, radix, numerus." Amann therefore assumes that Al-Chwarizmi would have introduced these terms.

Amann's writings were often ascribed to Friedrich Gerhart , who was also working in St. Emmeram , since both authors usually only appear in the manuscripts as frater fridericus . Since some of the manuscripts are subscribed to with the full author's name, the mathematical-astronomical texts could all be assigned to Friedrich Amann by comparing the manuscript. He is the author of the mathematical-astronomical texts in Clm 14111, 14504, 14583, 14622, 14783, 14908. The theological texts in Clm 14670, 14786, 14808, 14940, 14952 and 14969 also come from him. The manuscripts are now in the Bavarian State Library in Munich .

literature

  • Dana Bennett Durand: The Vienna-Klosterneuburg Map Corpus of the fifteenth century: A study in the transition from medieval to modern science. Brill, Leiden 1952, pp. 71-76
  • Dana Bennett Durand: The earliest modern maps of Germany and Central Europe. In: Isis 19, Cambridge 1933, pp. 486-502
  • Armin Gerl: Fridericus Amann . In: Rainer Gebhardt (ed.): Arithmetic books and mathematical texts of the early modern times. Proceedings of the scientific colloquium “Arithmetic books and mathematical texts of the early modern times” on the occasion of the 440th anniversary of the death of mathematician Adam Ries from April 16-18, 1999 in the Berg- und Adam-Ries-city Annaberg-Buchholz. Adam-Ries-Bund, Annaberg-Buchholz 1999, ISBN 3-930430-31-2
  • Kurt Vogel:  Fridericus (actually Gerhart, Friedrich). In: New German Biography (NDB). Volume 5, Duncker & Humblot, Berlin 1961, ISBN 3-428-00186-9 , p. 439 ( digitized version ).
  • Elisabeth Wunderle: Catalog of the Latin manuscripts of the Bavarian State Library in Munich . Ps. 2: The manuscripts from St. Emmeram in Regensburg. Vol. 1: Clm 14000-14130 . Harrassowitz, Wiesbaden 1995, ISBN 3-447-03474-2 , p. XIVf

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b Wunderle: The manuscripts from St. Emmeram in Regensburg. Wiesbaden 1995, p. XIVf
  2. ↑ Transcription from al-ğabr wa-ʾl-muqābala (“Complement and Compensate”), part of the title of Al-Khwarizmi's famous “Textbook on Calculation Methods by Complementing and Compensating”.
  3. ↑ Heinz-Wilhelm Alten: 4000 years of algebra: history, cultures, people. Springer, Berlin 2003, ISBN 3-540-43554-9 , p. 230
  4. ↑ Fridericus Amann in Clm 14504, Bl. 106v
personal data
SURNAME Amann, Friedrich
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Amann, Fridericus; Fridericus
BRIEF DESCRIPTION German Benedictine, mathematician and astronomer
DATE OF BIRTH 14th century or 15th century
PLACE OF BIRTH uncertain: Waischenfeld , Upper Franconia
DATE OF DEATH 1464 or 1465
Place of death unsure: Regensburg