Federico Commandino

Federico Commandino, also Federigo, Latinized Federicus Commandinus, (* 1506 in Urbino, † September 5, 1575 ) was an Italian humanist, physician and mathematician.

Life

Commandino came from a noble family in Urbino. His grandfather had been a secretary to the Duke of Urbino and his father Battista designed the fortifications of Urbino. He was educated in Greek and Latin in Fano G. Torelli and the humanist. Mathematics by the teacher of the Orsini family, who in 1527 fled from Rome to Urbino before the Sack of Rome ( 1533 was the bishop) On the recommendation of this teacher, he became in 1533 private secretary to Pope Clement VII, but died the same year. He attended the universities of Padua ( 1534-1544 ) and Ferrara, where he earned a doctoral degree in medicine. Besides medicine, he also studied philosophy and the classical quadrivium. After graduation, he wanted to practice as a doctor in Urbino, but was tutor and doctor of the ducal family. He married and had two daughters and a son, but his wife died soon after. When the Duke of Urbino he met the Cardinal Farnese, with whom he went to Rome early 1550s. He became friends with Cardinal Cervini of which was in 1555 Pope Marcellus II, but died shortly afterwards. Commandino returned it back to Urbino, where he was in the service of the Duke and the Cardinal Farnese. When Cardinal Farnese Bishop of Bologna was Commandino followed him there, but returned after his death in 1565 returned to Urbino. The Duke of Urbino had offered him a pension.

He is best known as an editor and translator of mathematical works of Greek antiquity, Archimedes, Aristarchus of Samos, Pappus, Heron of Alexandria, by Ptolemy, Serenus of Antinopolis, Apollonius of Perga, Eutocius and the elements of Euclid. He usually translated from Greek into Latin. He began in Urbino, where he had access to the ducal library. Later, in Rome, his access to manuscripts and books expanded considerably and he also had access to Greek manuscripts in Venice.

He was also involved in the development of the reduction compass (for proportional circle ), which is usually Fabrizio mordents and is attributed to the later development of Galileo Galilei. But mordents had discussions with Commandino and Guidobaldo del Monte in Urbino.

He corresponded with the astronomer Francesco Maurolico. Bernardino Baldi ( of 1587 wrote his biography ) and Guidobaldo del Monte (a friend of Galileo's ) were his pupils. 1563 visited him John Dee.

Editorship

He also published its own investigation to focus on in the tradition of Archimedes De Centro Gravitatis (Bologna 1565).