GUNTER, Edmund

by Edmund Gunter

£7,500 · Offered by Sokol Books

A fine copy, remarkably complete with all parts as issued, including the volvelle in an uncut state, of this important scientific work, in a contemporary binding. This is effectively the first edition of the collected works of Gunter. Gunter was a firm advocate of the use of instruments in mathematics for easing the work of various mathematical practitioners, notably surveyors and navigators. His instruments were designed with these aims in mind. In particular his work on logarithms, their applications to trigonometry, and their inclusion on instruments greatly simplified the processes of mathematical calculation. His books were popular for many years after his death: an edition of all his works was produced by Samuel Foster in 1636 and this had three more editions, the last in 1680 . DNB. Gunter's works, written in English, reflected the practical nature of his teaching and linked the more scholarly work of his time with everyday needs; the tools he provided were of immense value long afterward. DSB. As an undergraduate, Gunter developed a strong interest in mathematics and in mathematical instruments. He wrote a manuscript New Projection of the Sphere in his final year and this brought him to the attention of a number of leading mathematicians of the time including Henry Briggs. Gunter published seven figure tables of logarithms of sines and tangents in 1620; an English translation was published in the same year. Although the words sine and tangent were already in use, Gunt

• Binding: Hardcover

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