John Napier (1555-1617)

Useful links

These websites have information or images we think you might find useful:

• Bookrags.com:
  Biography and pages about Napier's discoveries.
• Gibson History of Scottish mathematics – John Napier:
  Brief biography, plus information about logarithms and 'Napier's Bones'.
• Maths is good for you – invention of logarithms:
  A page for young scientists.
• Maths is good for you – 'Napier's Bones' :
  Napier's calculating device explained for young mathematians. Includes a downloadable worksheet to make your own device.
• Napier's Bones:
  Explanation of Napier's calculating device on Iowa State University website.
• Napier's Bones – interactive demonstration:
  Wolfram Demonstrations Project presents a Flash version of Napier's calculating device.
• Napier's chessboard calculator:
  Explanation of Napier's method of computation using a chessboard.
• Napier's Promptuary:
  History of Computers website with information on Napier's calculating devices, including the Promptuary.
• Play Hookey – Logarithms:
  Explanation of logarithms, how they work and why we use them.
• Science Museum – Napier's rods :
  Images of 'Napier's Bones'.
• Wikipedia::
  Page on spherical trigonometry.
• WolframMathWorld – spherical triangle:
  Explanation of spherical triangles and spherical trigonometry, involving Napier's rules of circular parts.

Links to catalogue entries

• Search for National Library material relating to John Napier:
  Details of publications by or about John Napier that are held in National Library of Scotland collections.
• Film catalogue details for 'The Calculators':
  TV documentary exploring the consequences of the introduction of computers to Scottish Industry and Higher Education(1964). Part of the Moving Image Archive collection at the National Library.

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