Christoph Rudolff
Christoph Rudolff (* 1500 in Jawor, Silesia, † before 1543 probably in Vienna ) was a German mathematician.
Life
About his living conditions is not much known. Maybe it's the same as a Christoferus Valentini de Jawor, the enrolled in the summer semester 1493 in Krakow and there received his baccalaureate in 1495 after Kaunzner. From 1517 to 1521 he was a pupil of the mathematician Heinrich Schreiber ( Grammateus ) at the University of Vienna. He thereafter remained in Vienna and taught, but had no official position at the university. He had access to the library of the University.
Rudolff was the author of an algebra book ( COSS), under the title: pretty nimbly and invoice through the artful regulate Algebre so gemeinicklich the COSS, are included (Strasbourg 1525) appeared. It was the first German algebra book. Rudolff dedicated it to the Bishop of Brixen.
He used the first spelling " √" for representing the root. Furthermore, he used the meaningful definition is that and used single letters for variables (and not as früherere algebra books words). He used as the source including a Latin translation (Robert of Chester ) of the algebra of al- Khwarizmi and a compilation of algebra texts by Johann Vögelin in Vienna. Rudolff covered include solving linear and quadratic equations. 1553 Michael Stifel published an expanded edition of him. Rudolffs algebra was recognized by Gemma Frisius and used inter alia, by Leonhard Euler in 1770 for his Complete guide to algebra.
In addition, he also wrote a book on arithmetic Artificial invoice with the number unnd with the Zalpfennigen, sampt of Wavy 's Practica, and all sorts of advantage auff the rule De Tri ( Johan Sing Riener, Vienna, 1526, and several more editions to 1588 ). He describes in his book the basic arithmetic, fractions, both as computing on lines ( ie with computing pennies ) and with number arithmetic, the rule of three ( usually de Tri ) and an Italian ( Wellsche ) method for solving arithmetic tasks. The target audience were merchants. In addition, he even published a Exempelbüchlein ( Augsburg 1530) with 293 tasks, the task of its Artificial account .. considerably expanded and the first appearance in print arithmetic with decimal places. Instead of a decimal point, he used a dash. In addition, the hints and book tables of regional dimensions contained.
Michael Stifel calls him died in 1543 in the preface to the third volume of his Arithmetic integra.
Writings
- Michael Stifel (ed. ): The Coss Christoffs Rudolffs, Königsberg 1553 ( revised by Stifel; online at the UB Bielefeld)