Customer Reviews

A Treatise of Mathematical Instruments

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A Treatise of Mathematical Instruments contains a complete description of a range of tools that are useful in mathematics, surveying, architecture, navigation, drafting, gunnery, physics, and illustration. It covers the sector (a form of calculator that predates the slide rule), the gunner's calipers, the proportional compasses, and a variety of lesser instruments.

Examples show how to use all of the instruments, with extensive details on architectural drawing, plane geoemtry, spherical trigonometry, unit conversion, surveying, perspective drawing, and ship's guns (cannons and mortars). 12 plates of figures illustrate and clarify the text.

Anyone who has ever drafted a plan or drawing by hand or recalls having used a slide rule will be interested in this book. Those who has only used electronic devices will learn something new. Additionally, a wealth of historical details are revealed through the extensive figures and the text.

Modern notes include a biography of the author John Robertson, an explanation of some of the notation used in the book, and a brief commentary and history on mathematical methods, surveying, navigation, and architecture.

The prospective buyer must be aware that this book is not so much about mathematical instruments as about how to use them in various human activities, architecture, naval gunnery, art , map making etc.

The instruments explained are the ruler, compass and gunner's callipers; there are very few illustrations.

It is a fac-simile of the original edition, which can be awkward to read with its strange letters "s" and antiquated terminology.

I probably would not have bought the book had I known this, and that the book is available for free download on [...].

This is a good book, well produced, but remember that it is a reporing of a book from the turn of the last century; the cover is a lot more recent.

IT IS A GOOD BOOK, AND BETTER TO HAVE THE BOOK IN HAND THAN DOWNLOAD IT FOR FREE. NOT THE SAME. MAJOR COMPLAINT IS THAT THERE ARE NO PICTURES OR WAYS TO MAKE THE INSTRUMENTS DESCRIBED IN THE BOOK, HOWEVER A LENGTHY GOOGLE SEARCH WILL GIVE YOU A GOOD PDF ACCURATE PICTURE OF THE GUNTER RULE (A SLIDE RULE WITH NO MOVING PARTS!) AND OTHERS SUCH AS THE SECTOR. OTHER THAN THAT A GREAT BOOK YOU SHOULD HAVE.