'Magic is No Magic' The Wonderful World of Simon Stevin

Devreese Jozef T. - Vanden Berghe Guido

ISBN 10: 1845643917 / ISBN 13: 9781845643911

Published by WIT Press Southampton, Boston, Southampton - Billerica, 2008

About this Item

XXIX - 303 pp.- WIT Press Southampton, Boston Perfect condition - Illustrated.

Seller Inventory # 011971

Bibliographic Details

• Title: 'Magic is No Magic' The Wonderful World of Simon Stevin
• Publisher: WIT Press Southampton, Boston, Southampton - Billerica
• Publication Date: 2008
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1845643917
• ISBN 13: 9781845643911
• Binding: Soft cover
• Illustrator: Gladilin Vladimir
• Edition: 1st Edition
• Condition: New
• Seller catalogs:
  • 16th Century
  • 17th Century
  • Mathematics

About this title

Synopsis

This book gives a comprehensive picture of the activities and the creative heritage of Simon Stevin, who made outstanding contributions to various fields of science, in particular physics and mathematics, as well as many more. Among the striking spectrum of his ingenious achievements, it is worth emphasizing that Simon Stevin is rightly considered the father of the decimal fraction system as it is today. Stevin also urged the universal use of decimal fractions along with standardization in coinage, measures and weights. This was a most visionary proposal. Stevin was the first scientist since Archimedes to make a significant new contribution to the fields of statics and hydrostatics. He was a true homo universalis. The impact of Stevin's works has been multilateral and worldwide, and it is evident in literature, science, politics and many other fields. Given the way science works today, it would be impossible for a single individual to make meaningful contributions in as many areas as Simon Stevin did. The purpose of this book is to introduce Simon Stevin and his work to the widest possible readership. In doing so, the authors have kept to established historical facts and critically underpinned scientific insights into Stevin and his work. This is the first complete and accessible history of the work of Simon Stevin.

About the Author

Jozef T. Devreese is a professor in theoretical physics at the University of Antwerp and at the Technical University of Eindhoven. Guido Vanden Berghe is a professor in numerical mathematics at the University of Ghent. Both have numerous publications to their names, which also concern the history of science.