株式会社極東書店トップ > 商品一覧 > A Mathematical and Philosophical Dictionary : With a new intro. by R. Gregory. 4 vols. Reprint (1795)
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"A Mathematical and Philosophical Dictionary" is a sourcebook for historians of mathematics, astronomy and philosophy. It is Charles Hutton's most well-known work and widely considered to be the successor to John Harris's great "Lexicon Technicum, or an Universal English Dictionary of the Arts and Sciences" (1704). Originally published in two volumes in 1795-6, this expansive scientific encyclopedia contains thousands of explanations of terms and a wealth of biographical information on the major British and European scientists and philosophers. Among the biographical entries, which include detailed bibliographical descriptions, are Berkeley, Huygens, Boyle, Bacon, Gassendi, Flamsteed, Hooke, Brahe, Newton, Galileo and Halley. The many scientific terms are concisely explained and illuminated by examples and illustrations. Charles Hutton (1732-1823) was an eminent mathematician and distinguished figure in the Royal Society (he was elected a fellow in 1774 and held the position of Foreign Secretary from 1779 to 1783). Throughout his life he contributed extensively to scientific periodicals and submitted many important papers to the "Philosophical Transactions of th Royal Society". Hutton's experiments and research included the significant computation of the mean density of the earth based on Nevil Maskelyne's observations. His other works included a paper on ballistics, "The Force of Fired Gunpowder and the Velocity of Cannon Balls", for which he received the Copley Medal of the Royal Society in 1778. He held the position of Professor of Mathematics at Woolwich Military Academy for 34 years and wrote numerous mathematics textbooks. In 1781 Hutton published "Mathematical Tables" for the Board of Longitude" and he later produced the important "Course of Mathematics" (1798-1801), which was subsequently published in various editions over a period of 50 years. "A Mathematical and Philosophical Dictionary", reprinted here in four volumes with an introduction by Emeritus Professor Richard Gregory, provides historians with a comprehensive tool.