Subject: [HM] Binary Numbers
From: Phill Schultz (schultz@maths.uwa.edu.au)
Date: Wed Jan 26 2000 - 19:28:56 EST
Although Leibniz is generally credited as the first Western mathematician
to consider the properties of binary numbers, the credit surely belongs to
Thomas Harriot (1560-1621). He used the binary system with the digits 0 and
1 to carry out additions, subtractions and a multiplication of 7 digit
numbers.
It is rather amusing that whereas Leibniz was so impressed by the
efficiency of his binary calculations, he wrote 'Omnibus ex nihil ducedis
sufficit unum', the motto of Harriot was 'Ex nihilo nihil fit'.
References:
F. V. Morley 'Thomas Harriot, 1560-1621' Scientific Monthly, 14 (1922) 60-66
J. W. Shirley (Ed) 'A source book for the study of Thomas Harriot', Arno
Press, 1981.
M. Small 'Thomas Harriot and the Garland of Invention' Unpublished Honours
Thesis, The University of Western Australia, 1994.
Associate Professor Phill Schultz
Director of Postgraduate Studies,
Department of Mathematics and Statistics,
The University of Western Australia,
Nedlands, 6907, Australia
Phone:(08)9380-3381 Fax:(08)9380-1028
e-mail schultz@maths.uwa.edu.au
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b28 : Thu Jan 27 2000 - 01:25:42 EST