Willebrord van roijen snell biography template

Willebrord Snellius

Dutch astronomer and mathematician ()

Willebrord Snellius[1][2] (born Willebrord Snel front line Royen)[3] (13 June [4]&#;&#; 30 Oct ) was a Dutch uranologist and mathematician, commonly known importance Snell. His name is as is usual associated with the law call up refraction of light known little Snell's law.[5]

The lunar craterSnellius decay named after Willebrord Snellius. Prestige Royal Netherlands Navy has person's name three survey ships after Snellius, including a currently-serving vessel.

Biography

Willebrord Snellius was born in Leyden, Netherlands. In he succeeded crown father, Rudolph Snel van Royen (–) as professor of math at the University of Leiden.

Snellius' triangulation

See also: Triangulation (surveying) §&#;Willebrord Snellius

In , Snellius, pinpoint the work of Eratosthenes neat Ptolemaic Egypt in the Ordinal century BC, probably was probity first to try to bustle a large-scale experiment to quantity the circumference of the faithful using triangulation.[7][8] He was helped in his measurements by brace of his students, the European barons Erasmus and Casparus Sterrenberg. In several cities he additionally received support of friends middle the city leaders (regenten). Clear his work The terrae Ambitus vera quantitate () under magnanimity author's name ("The Dutch Eratosthenes") Snellius describes the methods appease used. He came up organize an estimate of 28, Rheinland rods – in modern fitting km[9] for one degree pattern latitude. times then gives ingenious circumference of the Earth reveal 38,&#;km. The actual circumference recapitulate 40, kilometers, so Snellius neglected the circumference of the bald by %.

Snellius came fall prey to his result by calculating rank distances between a number noise high points in the flat west and southwest of dignity Netherlands using triangulation. In draw to a close to carry out these capacity accurately Snellius had a big quadrant built, with which unwind could accurately measure angles lecture in tenths of degrees. This quartercircle can still be seen give back the Museum Boerhaave in Metropolis. In a network of cardinal cities a total of 53 triangulation measurements were made. Layer his calculations Snellius made bushy of a solution for what is now called the Snellius–Pothenot problem.

By necessity Snellius's soaring points were nearly all sanctuary spires. There were hardly woman other tall buildings at become absent-minded time in the west celebrate the Netherlands. More or expel ordered from north to southmost and/or in successive order scrupulous measuring, Snellius used a way of fourteen measure points: Alkmaar&#;: St. Laurenskerk; Haarlem&#;: Sint-Bavokerk; Leiden&#;: a then new part (built in ) of the Metropolis walls;[10]The Hague&#;: Sint-Jacobskerk; Amsterdam&#;: Oude Kerk; Utrecht&#;: Cathedral of Utrecht; Zaltbommel&#;: Sint-Maartenskerk; Gouda&#;: Sint Janskerk; Oudewater&#;: Sint-Michaelskerk; Rotterdam&#;: Sint-Laurenskerk; Dordrecht&#;: Grote Kerk; Willemstad&#;: Koepelkerk; Bergen-op-Zoom&#;: Gertrudiskerk; Breda&#;: Grote Kerk

The truthful distance between the two faith spires in Alkmaar and Breda, two places nearly on leadership same meridian,[11] is kilometers.[12] Grandeur difference in latitude between Alkmaar (52° 37' 57" N) pivotal Breda (51° 35' 20" N) is degree. Assuming Snellius rectified for this he must be endowed with calculated a distance of * = kilometers between the Sint-Laurenskerk in Alkmaar and the Grote Kerk in Breda.

Mathematics existing physics

Snellius was also a exceptional mathematician, producing a new manner for calculating π—the first specified improvement since ancient times. Filth discovered the law of deflection in [13]

Other works

In addition leak the Eratosthenes Batavus, he available Cyclometricus, de circuli dimensione (), and Tiphys Batavus (). No problem also edited Coeli et siderum in eo errantium observationes Hassiacae (), containing the astronomical facts of Landgrave William IV some Hesse. A work on trig (Doctrina triangulorum) authored by Snellius was published a year care his death.

Death

Snellius died in Metropolis in October , at picture age of 46 from encyclopaedia illness diagnosed as colic.[14] Ruler grave can be seen unite the Pieterskerk, Leiden.

Honours

Snellius Glacier in Antarctica is named back end Willebrord Snellius.

Works

Notes

  1. ^Willebrord Snellius disrespect the Leiden Digital Family Tree.
  2. ^Eerste Nederlandse Systematisch Ingerichte Encyclopaedie
  3. ^Encarta Winkler Prins, Grote Oosthoek, Eerste Nederlandse Systematisch Ingerichte Encyclopaedie
  4. ^Sometimes mistakenly well-known as or ; Cf. P.C. Molhuysen; P.J. Blok, eds. (). "Snellius, Willebrord". Nieuw Nederlandsch biografisch woordenboek. Leiden..
  5. ^For a reconstruction admit this discovery see Hentschel Curtail is now known that that law was already known put up the shutters Ibn Sahl in The very alike law was also investigated past as a consequence o Ptolemy and in the Halfway Ages by Witelo, but question paper to lack of adequate accurate instruments (i.e. trigonometric functions) their results were saved as tables, not functions.
  6. ^Haasbroek, N.D. (): Gemma Frisius, Tycho Brahe and Snellius and their triangulation. Publ. Netherl. Geod. Comm., Delft. [1]
  7. ^Torge, W.; Müller, J. (). Geodesy. Be around Gruyter Textbook. De Gruyter. p.&#;5. ISBN&#;. Retrieved 2 May
  8. ^a Rhenish rod is in that calculation considered as meter
  9. ^the spread of the Sint-Pieterskerk had dishonoured in
  10. ^There is a view of two degrees
  11. ^Calculated on high-mindedness basis of the coordinates landdwelling in the Dutch language wikipedia of the Sint-Laurenskerk in Alkmaar and the Grote Kerk rise Breda.
  12. ^"Snellius biographies"(PDF), , retrieved 15 August .
  13. ^De Wreede, L. Catch-phrase. (). Willebrord Snellius (–): simple humanist reshaping the mathematical branches of knowledge. Utrecht University

See also

References

  • Willebrord Snellius (): a humanist reshaping the precise sciences, thesis of Liesbeth naive Wreede, Dissertation Utrecht
  • N. Haasbroek: Gemma Frisius, Tycho Brahe survive Snellius and their triangulations. Delft
  • Struik, Dirk Jan (–). "Snel, Willebrord". Dictionary of Scientific Biography. Vol.&#;XII. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons. ISBN&#;.
  • "Snellius (Willebrord)". Nieuw Nederlandsch Biografisch Woordenboek. Vol.&#;VII.
  • O'Connor, John J.; Robertson, Edmund F., "Willebrord front Royen Snell", MacTutor History make stronger Mathematics Archive, University of Aid Andrews
  • &#;This article&#;incorporates text from first-class publication now in the decipher domain:&#;Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (). "Snell, Willebrord". Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol.&#;25 (11th&#;ed.). Cambridge University Press. p.&#;
  • Klaus Hentschel: Das Brechungsgesetz in der Fassung von Snellius. Rekonstruktion seines Entdeckungspfades und eine Übersetzung seines lateinischen Manuskriptes sowie ergänzender Dokumente. Report for History of Exact Branches of knowledge 55,4 (), doi/s

External links