One of the earliest and probably the most acrimonious, was that between
Tartaglia (c. 1499-1557) and Cardano (1501-1576) over the algebraic
solution of the cubic. Archimedes had produced a geometric solution in
his work 'On the sphere and cylinder' and there is little doubt that
Tartaglia was familiar with this work. But Tartaglia certainly
independently found an algebraic solution about 1535.
Unfortunately for him, he was not the first. Scipio del Ferro, Professor
of Mathematics at Bologna had found the same solution 20 years before and
passed it on to his pupils. Cardano came later on the scene. He delayed
publication of his 'Ars Magna' in 1545 so as to include a rather more
complete solution. He acknowledges the contribution of Tartaglia, and
that the latter had sworn him to secrecy, but he claims that his oath
was superseded by his learning of the prior claim of Del Ferro.
Tartaglia was furious, not only for moral and intellectual reasons, but
also because there were material gains associated with being the sole
possessor of mathematical knowledge. He published diatribes about
Cardano's perfidy, and tried to challenge him to mathematical contests.
Cardano remained above the fray, sending his pupil Ferrari instead. The
latter defeated Tartaglia, who died an embittered man.
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Associate Professor Phill Schultz
Director of Postgraduate Studies,
Department of Mathematics,
The University of Western Australia,
Nedlands, 6907, Australia
Phone:(08)9380-3381 Fax:(08)9380-1028
e-mail schultz@maths.uwa.edu.au
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