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Lot 1010

NAPIER, JOHN. 1550-1617.
Rabdologiae seu numerationis per virgulas libri duo. Leiden: Peter Rammasen, 1626.

25 October 2022, 14:00 EDT
New York

US$1,200 - US$1,800

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NAPIER, JOHN. 1550-1617.

Rabdologiae seu numerationis per virgulas libri duo. Leiden: Peter Rammasen, 1626.
12mo (135 x 73 mm). 9 folding plates and tables, illustrations in the text. Contemporary vellum, title penned to spine. Browned, repaired close tear to title, spine repaired.
Provenance: The estate of Serge Roubé.

SECOND EDITION of the his description of Napier's rods, the first printed reference to a mechanical counting machine (besides the abacus). John Napier is most famous for his discovery of algorithms (see previous lot 1009), but he also developed one of the earliest counting machines, called "Napier's Bones." This work contains the first description of his rods, as well as two other mechanical machines for mathematics, as well as the first printed reference to the modern decimal point. Tomash & Williams N7; Dibner Heralds of Science 107; Norman 1574; Origins of Cyberspace 11 (all for the first edition).

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