When german mathematician Christopher Clavius introduced the world to the humble decimal point in 1593, he used it in one table, and never mentioned it or used it again.
Clearly, the decimal point is incredibly important to the way we do math today. So, why did Clavius abandon such a monumental discovery so soon after making it?
Because he'd stolen it.
Well, "stole" may imply a bit more malice than is necessary. Let's not read motive into 14th century mathematicians. But according to a paper published in the journal Historia Mathematica, Clavius actually likely imported the decimal point into his own work when referencing the work of Italian merchant and mathematician Giovanni Bianchini from the 1440s-work that had been done almost 150 years earlier.
この記事は Popular Mechanics US の July - August 2024 版に掲載されています。
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この記事は Popular Mechanics US の July - August 2024 版に掲載されています。
7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、9,000 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。
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