STEVIN Simon Les oeuvres Mathématiques de Simon Stevin de Bruges. Ou sont insérées les Mémoires mathématiques… Le tout reveu et corrigée & augmenté par Albert Girard.

DSB, XIII, 47-51 ; Roberts & Trent, pp. 303-304.

The best edition of the scientific writings of Stevin (1548-1620), the most influential of all mathematicians produced by the Low Countries in the 16th century.

The present edition has become very scarce on the market; it contains his writings on algebra and arithmetic (first part) followed by cosmography (including geography, and astronomy), applied geometry, statics optics, fortification (including mathematics applied to military science), and navigation (second part).

“While mathematicians up to his time had followed the Greek example and given each proof by reductio ad absurdum, Stevin introduced methods that, although still cumbersome, paved the way toward simpler methods of the calculus” (DSB).

In this book, Stevin sets out the rules of single and compound interest and gives tables for the rapid computation of discounts and annuities; introduces decimal fractions for general purposes; gives a general treatment of the arithmetic and algebra of his time; provides his important works on mechanics and hydrostatics; presents one of the first descriptions of the Copernican system; and outlines his important theories of fortification and field encampment.

“The first systematic treatise on hydrostatics since Archimedes” (DSB).

This edition also contains Stevin’s translation, the first into a modern language, of the work of Diophantus.

Albert Girard (1595-1632), Lorraine mathematician, was noted for his work on negative roots of equations.

This copy is complete with the moving parts mounted onto pages 529 and 532 which are sometimes found on a single sheet or missing. Page 623 has been folded-in by the binder and text and illustration on fortification are fully present and untouched by the binder’s knife.

Some quires toned, else a very good, complete, copy.