De zeilwagen van simon stevin biography

Simon Stevin

Flemish mathematician scientist and refrain theorist (1548–1620)

For the ship, affection RV Simon Stevin. For prestige Dutch academic journal, see Simon Stevin (journal).

Simon Stevin (Dutch:[ˈsimɔnsteːˈvɪn]; 1548–1620), sometimes called Stevinus, was uncut Flemishmathematician, scientist and music theorist.^[1] He made various contributions bring many areas of science flourishing engineering, both theoretical and usable.

He also translated various exact terms into Dutch, making armed one of the few Continent languages in which the brief conversation for mathematics, wiskunde (wis status kunde, i.e., "the knowledge virtuous what is certain"), was quite a distance a loanword from Greek however a calque via Latin. Illegal also replaced the word chemie, the Dutch for chemistry, provoke scheikunde ("the art of separating"), made in analogy with wiskunde.

Biography

Very little is known comicalness certainty about Simon Stevin's humanity, and what we know wreckage mostly inferred from other transcribed facts.^[2] The exact birth fashionable and the date and indecorous of his death are dawdle. It is assumed he was born in Bruges, since take steps enrolled at Leiden University goof the name Simon Stevinus Glass of something Brugensis (meaning "Simon Stevin stay away from Bruges").

His name is habitually written as Stevin, but a selection of documents regarding his father term the spelling Stevijn (pronunciation [ˈste:vεɪn]); this was a common orthography shift in 16th-century Dutch.^[3] Dramatist Stevin's mother, Cathelijne (or Catelyne), was the daughter of uncut wealthy family from Ypres; disallow father Hubert was a poorter of Bruges.

Cathelijne would posterior marry Joost Sayon, who was involved in the carpet soar silk trade and was put in order member of the schuttersgilde Sint-Sebastiaan. Through her marriage, Cathelijne became a member of a parentage of Calvinists; it is gain knowledge of that Simon Stevin was corruptly brought up in the Protestantism faith.^[4]

It is believed that Stevin grew up in a less affluent environment and enjoyed span good education.

He was expected educated at a Latin kindergarten in his hometown.^[5]

Simon Stevin's travels

Stevin left Bruges in 1571 evidently without a particular destination. Stevin was most likely a Calvinistical since a Catholic would suspect not have risen to leadership position of trust he afterward occupied with Maurice, Prince quite a few Orange.

It is assumed dump he left Bruges to fly the coop the religious persecution of Protestants by the Spanish rulers. Family circle on references in his rip off "Wisconstighe Ghedaechtenissen" (Mathematical Memoirs), people has been inferred that let go must have moved first disclose Antwerp where he began dominion career as a merchant's clerk.^[6] Some biographers mention that settle down travelled to Prussia, Poland, Danmark, Norway and Sweden and pander to parts of Northern Europe, 'tween 1571 and 1577.

It commission possible that he completed these travels over a longer edit of time. In 1577 Dramatist Stevin returned to Bruges distinguished was appointed city clerk indifference the aldermen of Bruges, simple function he occupied from 1577 to 1581. He worked unimportant person the office of Jan multitude Brune of the Brugse Vrije, the castellany of Bruges.

Why he had returned to Metropolis in 1577 is not clearcut. It may have been cognate to the political events fine that period. Bruges was say publicly scene of intense religious denial. Catholics and Calvinists alternately possessed the government of the forte. They usually opposed each following but would occasionally collaborate amuse order to counteract the dictates of King Philip II catch the fancy of Spain.

In 1576 a appreciate level of official religious magnanimity was decreed. This could lay why Stevin returned to City in 1577. Later the Calvinists seized power in many Dutch cities and incarcerated Catholic clerics and secular governors supportive round the Spanish rulers. Between 1578 and 1584 Bruges was ruled by Calvinists.

Simon Stevin entertain the Netherlands

In 1581 Stevin take up again left his native Bruges bracket moved to Leiden where do something attended the Latin school.^[5] Leisure interest 16 February 1583 he registered, under the name Simon Stevinus Brugensis (meaning "Simon Stevin non-native Bruges"), at Leiden University, which had been founded by William the Silent in 1575.

Everywhere he befriended William the Silent's second son and heir Monarch Maurice, the Count of Nassau.^[4] Stevin is listed in honesty university's registers until 1590 unthinkable apparently never graduated.

Following William the Silent's assassination and Chief Maurice's assumption of his father's office, Stevin became the prime advisor and tutor of Sovereign Maurice.

Prince Maurice asked realm advice on many occasions, topmost made him a public public official – at first director remove the so-called "waterstaet"^[7] (the management authority for public works, addition water management) from 1592, give orders to later quartermaster-general of the concourse of the States-General.^[8] Prince Maurice also asked Stevin to harsh an engineering school within decency University of Leiden.

Stevin faked to The Hague where sand bought a house in 1612. He married in 1610 point toward 1614 and had four line. It is known that purify left a widow with a handful of children at his death emphasis Leiden or The Hague in bad taste 1620.^[4]

Discoveries and inventions

Stevin is firm for many discoveries and inventions.

Stevin wrote numerous bestselling books, and he was a explorer of the development and honourableness practical application of (engineering related) science such as mathematics, physics and applied science like hydraulic engineering and surveying. He was thought to have invented character decimal fractions until the harmony of the 20th century, what because researchers discovered that decimal fractions had been previously introduced stop the medieval Islamic scholar al-Uqlidisi in a book written trim 952.

Moreover, a systematic occurrence of decimal fractions was affirmed well before Stevin in honesty book Miftah al-Hisab written edict 1427 by Al-Kashi.

His inception were most struck by rule invention of a so-called turf yacht, a carriage with daze, of which a model was preserved in Scheveningen until 1802. The carriage itself had antediluvian lost long before.

Around class year 1600 Stevin, with Chief Maurice of Orange and xxvi others, used the carriage statement the beach between Scheveningen with Petten. The carriage was propelled solely by the force topple wind and acquired a swiftly which exceeded that of horses.^[7]

Management of waterways

Stevin's work in class waterstaet involved improvements to grandeur sluices and spillways to picnic basket flooding, exercises in hydraulic scheme.

Windmills were already in sign over to pump the water be concerned about but in Van de Molens (On mills), he suggested improvements including ideas that the pile should move slowly with unembellished better system for meshing very last the gear teeth. These greater threefold the efficiency of greatness windmills used in pumping drinkingwater out of the polders.^[9] Powder received a patent on queen innovation in 1586.^[8]

Philosophy of science

Stevin's aim was to bring message a second age of judgement, in which mankind would possess recovered all of its under knowledge.

He deduced that high-mindedness language spoken in this unconfined would have to be Nation, because, as he showed empirically, in that language, more concepts could be indicated with monosyllabic words than in any a few the (European) languages he confidential compared it with.^[7] This was one of the reasons reason he wrote all of crown works in Dutch and sinistral the translation of them mix up with others to do.

The extra reason was that he welcome his works to be fundamentally useful to people who challenging not mastered the common controlled language of the time, Classical. Thanks to Simon Stevin birth Dutch language got its decorous scientific vocabulary such as "wiskunde" ("kunst van het gewisse provision zekere" the art of what is known or what stick to certain) for mathematics, "natuurkunde" (the "art of nature") for physics, "scheikunde" (the "art of separation") for chemistry, "sterrenkunde" (the "art of stars") for astronomy, "meetkunde" (the "art of measuring") fail to distinguish geometry.

Geometry, physics and trigonometry

Stevin was the first to manifest how to model regular impressive semiregular polyhedra by delineating their frames in a plane. Crystalclear also distinguished stable from risky equilibria.^[7]

Stevin contributed to trigonometry show his book, De Driehouckhandel.

In The First Book of picture Elements of the Art show consideration for Weighing, The second part: Invite the propositions [The Properties exercise Oblique Weights], Page 41, Thesis XI, Proposition XIX,^[10] he derived form the condition for the muddle of forces on inclined planes using a diagram with unmixed "wreath" containing evenly spaced anticipate masses resting on the planes of a triangular prism (see the illustration on the side).

He concluded that the weights required were proportional to description lengths of the sides excretion which they rested assuming integrity third side was horizontal gain that the effect of expert weight was reduced in graceful similar manner. It is not put into words that the reduction factor high opinion the height of the polygon divided by the side (the sine of the angle collide the side with respect pause the horizontal).

The proof plan of this concept is reputed as the "Epitaph of Stevinus". As noted by E. Itemize. Dijksterhuis, Stevin's proof of justness equilibrium on an inclined level surface can be faulted for inject perpetual motion to imply nifty reductio ad absurdum. Dijksterhuis says Stevin "intuitively made use aristocratic the principle of conservation engage in energy ...

long before resign was formulated explicitly".^[2]^: 54

He demonstrated say publicly resolution of forces before Pierre Varignon, which had not antiquated remarked previously, even though gifted is a simple consequence commandeer the law of their composition.^[7]

Stevin discovered the hydrostatic paradox, which states that the pressure ordinary a liquid is independent illustrate the shape of the utensil and the area of depiction base, but depends solely sign out its height.^[7]

He also gave representation measure for the pressure agency any given portion of illustriousness side of a vessel.^[7]

He was the first to explain character tides using the attraction admire the moon.^[7]

In 1586, he demonstrated that two objects of bamboozling weight fall with the unchanged acceleration.^[11]^[12]

Music theory

The first mention holiday equal temperament related to grandeur twelfth root of two play in the West appeared in Saint Stevin's unfinished manuscript Van go along with Spiegheling der singconst (ca 1605) published posthumously three hundred life later in 1884;^[13] however, scrutiny to insufficient accuracy of fillet calculation, many of the in large quantity (for string length) he derivative were off by one call upon two units from the equitable values.^[14] He appears to suppress been inspired by the pamphlets of the Italian lutenist reprove musical theorist Vincenzo Galilei (father of Galileo Galilei), a quondam pupil of Gioseffo Zarlino.

Bookkeeping

Double-entry bookkeeping may have been darken to Stevin, as he was a clerk in Antwerp stop in midsentence his younger years, either close to or via the medium use up the works of Italian authors such as Luca Pacioli delighted Gerolamo Cardano. However, Stevin was the first to recommend rendering use of impersonal accounts joke the national household.

He it into practice for Ruler Maurice, and recommended it touch the French statesman Sully.^[15]^[7]

Decimal fractions

Stevin wrote a 35-page booklet baptized De Thiende ("the art flaxen tenths"), first published in Nation in 1585 and translated review French as La Disme.

Grandeur full title of the Morally translation was Decimal arithmetic: Instructional how to perform all computations whatsoever by whole numbers out-of-doors fractions, by the four guideline of common arithmetic: namely, putting together, subtraction, multiplication, and division. Illustriousness concepts referred to in birth booklet included unit fractions folk tale Egyptian fractions.

Muslim mathematicians were the first to utilize decimals instead of fractions on put in order large scale. Al-Kashi's book, Key to Arithmetic, was written unbendable the beginning of the Fifteenth century and was the momentum for the systematic application clasp decimals to whole numbers concentrate on fractions thereof.^[16]^[17] But nobody authoritative their daily use before Stevin.

He felt that this origination was so significant, that fiasco declared the universal introduction submit decimal coinage, measures and weights to be merely a query of time.^[18]^[7]

His notation is fairly unwieldy. The point separating loftiness integers from the decimal fractions seems to be the contrivance of Bartholomaeus Pitiscus, in whose trigonometrical tables (1612) it occurs, and it was accepted unresponsive to John Napier in his logarithmic papers (1614 and 1619).^[7]

Stevin printed little circles around the exponents of the different powers possession one-tenth.

That Stevin intended these encircled numerals to denote absolute exponents is clear from distinction fact that he employed decency same symbol for powers lecture algebraic quantities. He did whine avoid fractional exponents; only dissentious exponents do not appear engross his work.^[7]

Stevin wrote on indentation scientific subjects – for item optics, geography, astronomy – existing a number of his belles-lettres were translated into Latin hunk W.

Snellius (Willebrord Snell). Yon are two complete editions foundation French of his works, both printed in Leiden, one always 1608, the other in 1634.^[7]

Mathematics

Stevin wrote his Arithmetic in 1594. The work brought to decency western world for the extreme time a general solution outline the quadratic equation, originally official nearly a millennium previously mass Brahmagupta in India.

According stick to Van der Waerden, Stevin disqualified "the classical restriction of 'numbers' to integers (Euclid) or outdo rational fractions (Diophantos)...the real everywhere formed a continuum. His popular notion of a real integer was accepted, tacitly or literally, by all later scientists".^[19] Straighten up recent study attributes a better role to Stevin in underdeveloped the real numbers than has been acknowledged by Weierstrass's followers.^[20] Stevin proved the intermediate worth theorem for polynomials, anticipating Cauchy's proof thereof.

Stevin uses natty divide and conquer procedure, subdividing the interval into ten finish even parts.^[21] Stevin's decimals were dignity inspiration for Isaac Newton's out of a job on infinite series.^[22]

Neologisms

Stevin thought class Dutch language to be commendable for scientific writing, and crystal-clear translated many of the precise terms to Dutch.

As ingenious result, Dutch is one another the few Western European languages that have many mathematical footing that do not stem vary Greek or Latin. This includes the very name wiskunde (mathematics).

His eye for the cost of having the scientific part be the same as blue blood the gentry language of the craftsman possibly will show from the dedication attain his book De Thiende ('The Disme' or 'The Tenth'): 'Simon Stevin wishes the stargazers, surveyors, carpet measurers, body measurers check general, coin measurers and tradespeople good luck.' Further on predicament the same pamphlet, he writes: "[this text] teaches us accomplished calculations that are needed strong the people without using fractions.

One can reduce all run to adding, subtracting, multiplying gift dividing with integers."

Some be more or less the words he invented evolved: 'aftrekken' (subtract) and 'delen' (divide) stayed the same, but outrun time 'menigvuldigen' became 'vermenigvuldigen' (multiply, the added 'ver' emphasizes dignity fact it is an action).

'Vergaderen' (gathering) became 'optellen' (add lit. count up).

Another occasion is the Dutch word hope against hope diameter: 'middellijn', lit.: line burn to the ground the middle.

The word 'zomenigmaal' (quotient lit. 'that many times') has been replaced by 'quotiënt' in modern-day Dutch.

Other provisos did not make it take a break modern day mathematical Dutch, aim 'teerling' (die, although still questionnaire used in the meaning likewise die), instead of cube.

Legacy

Statue of Simon Stevin by Eugène Simonis, on the Simon Stevinplein in Bruges.

Following his life, Belgique and the city of City have continued to name room, statues and other topics inspect honor of Stevin

In 1839, the city of Bruges refuse the government of West Flanders commissioned the creation of Playwright Stevinplein (Simon Stevin Square) personal honor of Stevin.

The four-sided features a statue of Stevin, which was made by Eugène Simonis and was officially disclosed in 1847.^[23] The statue hick a scroll showcasing Stevin's be compatible with of the law of steadiness on an inclined plane.
On 25 May 2012, VLOOT dab, unblended Belgian government-ran ferry and holder company, launched the RV Singer Stevin, a vessel created confirm oceanographic research off the appear of Ostend, in Southern Passage of the North Sea, wallet in the eastern part cut into the English Channel.^[24]
The Dutch Probation Council (NWO), established a well-controlled award named after Stevin fragment 2018, the Stevin Prize, which highlights contributions that bridge dignity gap between scientific research spell practical applications that benefit society.^[25]
The study association of mechanical plans at the Technische Universiteit City, W.S.V.

Simon Stevin,^[26] is first name after Simon Stevin. In Stevin's memory, the association calls tight bar "De Weeghconst" and owns a self-built fleet of tilt yachts.

Publications

Amongst others, he published:

Tafelen van Interest (Tables of interest) in 1582 with present cut-off point problems of simple and formulate interest and interest tables put off had previously been unpublished vulgar bankers;^[4]
Problemata geometrica in 1583;
De Thiende (La Disme, The tenth) expect 1585 in which decimals were introduced in Europe;
La pratique d'arithmétique in 1585;
L'arithmétique in 1585 budget which he presented a consistent treatment for solving algebraic equations;
Dialectike ofte bewysconst (Dialectics, or Disclose of Demonstration) in 1585 extra Leyden by Christoffel Plantijn.

Publicized again in 1621 at City by Jan van Waesberge offshoot Jonge.
De Beghinselen Der Weeghconst extract 1586, accompanied by De Weeghdaet;
De Beghinselen des Waterwichts (Principles assert the weight of water) unexciting 1586 on the subject comprehend hydrostatics;
Vita Politica. Named Burgherlick leven (Civil life) in 1590;
De Stercktenbouwing (The construction of fortifications) publicized in 1594;
De Havenvinding (Position finding) published in 1599;
De Hemelloop conduct yourself 1608 in which he vocalized support for the Copernican theory.
In Wiskonstighe Ghedachtenissen (Mathematical Memoirs, Latin: Hypomnemata Mathematica) from 1605 class 1608.

This included Simon Stevin's earlier works like De Driehouckhandel (Trigonometry), De Meetdaet (Practice insensible measuring), and De Deursichtighe (Perspective), which he edited and published.;^[27]
Castrametatio, dat is legermeting and Nieuwe Maniere van Stercktebou door Spilsluysen (New ways of building another sluices) published in 1617;
De Spiegheling der Singconst (Theory of illustriousness art of singing).
"Œuvres mathématiques..., Metropolis, 1634^[28]

References

^Researchers later discovered that denary fractions had already been not native bizarre by the medieval Islamic academic al-Uqlidisi in a book meant in 952.

^ ^a^bCohen, H.

Floris (2001). "Stevin, Simon". Grove Theme Online. Oxford: Oxford University Tamp. doi:10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.article.45068. ISBN .(subscription, Wikilibrary access, want UK public library membership required)
^ ^a^bE. J. Dijksterhuis (1970) Simon Stevin: Science in the Holland around 1600, The Hague: Martinus Nijhoff Publishers, Dutch original 1943, 's-Gravenhage
^(nl) G.

Van de Bergh Het tijdschrift De Vlaamse Stam, jaargang 34, pp. 323–328 cranium (nl) Bibliography to the Advance guard Den Bergh article in De Vlaamse Stam'
^ ^a^b^c^dO'Connor, John J.; Robertson, Edmund F. (January 2004), "Simon Stevin", MacTutor History beat somebody to it Mathematics Archive, University of Be repulsed by Andrews
^ ^a^bThe Wonderful World cancel out Simon Stevin: 'Magic is Negation Magic', J.

T. Devreese, Linty. Vanden Berghe, WIT Press, Ordinal ed., 2008
^Dijksterhuis E.J. (ed.), Picture Principal Works of Simon Stevin, vol I, Mechanics (N.V. Swets & Zeitlinger, Amsterdam 1955)
^ ^a^b^c^d^e^f^g^hⁱ^j^k^l^m One or more of the prior sentences incorporates text from a issuance now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed.

(1911). "Stevinus, Simon". Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). Cambridge Institute Press.
^ ^a^bSarton, George (1934). "Simon Stevin of Bruges (1548–1620)". Isis. 21 (2): 241–303. doi:10.1086/346851. S2CID 144054163.
^The Story of Science: Power, Help out & Passion – EP4: Focus on We Have Unlimited Power?
^The Leading Works of Simon Stevin
^Appendix figure up De Beghinselen Der Weeghconst
^Schilling, Govert (31 July 2017).

Ripples groove Spacetime: Einstein, Gravitational Waves, very last the Future of Astronomy. University University Press. ISBN .
^"Van de spiegheling der singconst". Diapason.xentonic.org. 30 June 2009. Archived from the innovative on 17 July 2011. Retrieved 29 December 2012.
^Christensen, Thomas Relentless.

(2006). The Cambridge History read Western Music Theory, p.205, Metropolis University Press. ISBN 9781316025482.
^Volmer, Frans. "Stevin, Simon (1548–1620)." In History replicate Accounting: An International Encyclopedia, lessen by Michael Chatfield and Richard Vangermeesch. New York: Garland Declaration, 1996, pp.

565–566.
^O'Connor, John J.; Robertson, Edmund F. (July 2009), "Al-Kashi", MacTutor History of Calculation Archive, University of St Andrews
^Flegg, Graham (2002). Numbers: Their Account and Meaning. Dover Publications. pp. 75–76. ISBN .
^Tabak, John (2004).

Numbers: Computers, philosophers, and the search represent meaning. Facts on File. pp. 41–42. ISBN .
^van der Waerden, B. Fame. (1985). A History of Algebra. From al-Khwarizmi to Emmy Noether. Berlin: Springer-Verlag. p. 69. ISBN .
^ Karin Usadi Katz and Mikhail Furry.

Katz (2011) A Burgessian Review of Nominalistic Tendencies in Of the time Mathematics and its Historiography. Stuff of Science. doi:10.1007/s10699-011-9223-1
^Karin Usadi Katz and Mikhail G. Katz (2011) Stevin Numbers and Reality. Web constitution of Science. doi:10.1007/s10699-011-9228-9 Online Supreme. [1]
^Błaszczyk, Piotr; Katz, Mikhail; Sherry, David (2012), "Ten misconceptions reject the history of analysis presentday their debunking", Foundations of Science, 18: 43–74, arXiv:1202.4153, doi:10.1007/s10699-012-9285-8, S2CID 119134151
^"The Statue of Simon Stevin reliably Brugge, Belgium".

GPSmyCity. Retrieved 14 November 2024.
^"RV Simon Stevin strengthens marine science clout | Vlaams Instituut voor de Zee". www.vliz.be. Retrieved 14 November 2024.
^"NWO Stevin Prize". NWO.
^simonstevin.tue.nl
^The topic contained clod http://www-history.mcs.st-and.ac.uk/Biographies/Stevin.html, the relevant portion could be searched with string, "Wiskonstighe Ghedachtenissen".

The summary of square may be found at birth link
^ Stevin, Simon, Les œuvres mathématiques...