John Napier lived from 1550 to 4th April 1617. He was a hugely influential mathematician who invented logarithms and who produced a calculating machine called Napier's Bones and who did much to introduce the use of the decimal point in mathematics. Today one of Edinburgh's universities, Napier University, was named after him and was built around his family home of Merchiston Castle.
Mathematics was not its principal activity, but he never ran out of ideas to simplify calculations.
He established some spherical trigonometry formulas, popularized the use of the point for the mixed fraction decimals but especially invented logarithms. In 1617, the year of his death, Napier published his Rhabdologie, in which he proposed a mechanical process to simplify operations: multiplication and division named Napier's Bones. Think about how many times you could have used this technique and have the best mark at math tests. Why do I only know that now?!?!
Napier did so many things for us and that’s why we can find his name on a lot of places in Scotland. In Electrical Engineering, a unit of measure, the neper, has been named in his honor. Edinburgh Napier University also bears his name and a logarithm bears his name as well, the natural logarithm too. Finally, a lunar crater, Crater Napier also pays tribute to this great man. Nowadays, his body rests in St Cuthbert’s, Edinburgh.
To put it in a nutshell, John Napier was a fantastic guy, he invented a lot of important things and it’s so sad to see that nobody knows a single thing about him because he deserves way more than that.
Lina T L
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