Robert Recorde / History of Computing (PDF)

The 16th-Century intellectual Robert Recorde is chiefly remembered for introducing the equals sign into algebra, yet the greater significance and broader scope of his work is often overlooked.

Robert Recorde: Tudor Polymath, Expositor and Practitioner of Computation presents an authoritative and in-depth analysis of the man, his achievements and his historical importance. This scholarly yet accessible work examines the latest evidence on all aspects of Recorde's life, throwing new light on a character deserving of greater recognition.

Topics and features:

• Presents a concise chronology of Recorde's life
• Examines his published works; The Grounde of Artes, The Pathway to Knowledge, The Castle of Knowledge, and The Whetstone of Witte
• Describes Recorde's professional activities in the minting of money and the mining of silver, as well as his dispute with William Herbert, Earl of Pembroke
• Investigates Recorde's work as a physician, his linguistic and antiquarian interests, and his religious beliefs
• Discusses the influence of Recorde's publisher, Reyner Wolfe, in his life
• Reviews his legacy to 17th-Century science, and to modern computer science and mathematics

This fascinating insight into a much under-appreciated figure is a must-read for researchers interested in the history of computer science and mathematics, and for scholars of renaissance studies, as well as for the general reader.