1. Presentation 1 August 21, 2012

2. John Napier (1550-1617) Born: Edinburgh, Scotland Noble Scottish man Married twice: 12 Children Educated initially in University; dropped out and traveled abroad

3. Most known for Logarithms • Created a table to simplify calculations • First to use decimal notation • All numbers can be expressed in exponential notation form • Wrote several publications

4. Publications • A Description of the Wonderful Canon of Logarithms (1614) and Construction of Logarithms (1619) provided a descriptions of the methods used to calculate logarithms. • A Plaine Discovery of the Whole Revelation of St. John. According to Hobson (1914) this publication represents one of the earliest Scottish interpretations of scriptures published in 1953. • MirificiLogarithmorumCanonisDiscripto. A description of an Admirable Table of Logarithms, 1914. • Rabdologiae (1617) gives various methods for abbreviating arithmetical calculations.

5. Controversy • Created controversy over publication Plaine Discovery of the Whole Revelation of St. John • Publication regarded as Anti-Christ; accused the Pope of being the Anti-Christ. • Earliest interpretation of Scottish scripture published in 1953 • Predicted end of the world between 1688 and 1700 • This publication, although controversial, was regarded as one of his finer achievements. (Rumors that Napier practiced dark magic and was a Warlock)

6. Invention • Most known for logarithms • Decimal Points • Napier logs/ Napier Bones

7. Napier’s Rod /Bone

8. Example: 6*479 4 7 9 2 4 5 4 2 4 6 2 8 7 4 479*6 = 2874

9. Napier Logs General Rules • How to simplify logarithms? • What does it mean? • Definition of a Logarithm • If b and N are positive numbers (b1) • logb N = k if and only if bK = N

10. Rules continued • Multiplication Rule: • logb XY = logb N + logb Y • Division Rule: • logb X/Y = logbX - logb Y • Power Rule: • logbxp = p logb x