GALILEI, Galileo.

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Le operazioni del compasso geometrico, et militare. Third edition of the first work published under Galileo's name, a promotional study of his revolutionary mechanical calculator. The compass, or sector, became one of the most widely used calculators of the 17th century, and, although no copy appears in their collection, Hook & Norman place the Operazioni at the very beginning of their Origins of Cyberspace timeline.The Operazioni was first printed, privately, in 1606, when Galileo was 42 and seeking to supplement his income as professor of mathematics at Padua. It discusses his development of a mechanical analog calculator, examples of which were made by an artisan he retained in his house from 1597 onwards. The notes were meant to help him teach students how to use the sector, and he originally refused to include any direct descriptions or illustrations of the instrument, for fear of plagiarism. By the time of the second edition, in 1640, he finally allowed a large engraved diagram, which is carried through to the present edition.The machine's adaptability was groundbreaking: Galileo intended it to be used for all manner of complex calculations, from mercantile currency conversions to military cannon loading.

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