Robert Recorde

A continuación transcribimos el texto en inglés que hemos dictado hoy en clase:

ROBERT RECORDE (1510-58)

Robert Recorde was born in Wales and taught mathematics at the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge. He trained in medicine and was private physician to Edward VI and then Mary I. He was also Controller of the Royal Mint.

Recorde re-established mathematics in England, when the country had not seen a notable mathematician for 200 years. He explained everything in careful detail, in steps that were easy to follow and in English, as he wanted to make mathematics as accessible as possible. Most of his works were written in the form of dialogues between a master and a student. In 1551 he published an abridged version of Euclid's Elements, making the text available in English for the first time. He first used the equals sign, though using much longer lines than we do now. It took 100 years before the sign was universally accepted above alternative notations.

Vocabulary:

trained in - se capacitó en

private physician - médico privado

Controller of the Royal Mint - Interventor de la Real Casa de la Moneda

careful detail - cuidadoso detalle

master - maestro

abridged version - versión abreviada

available - disponible

El presente texto ha sido extraído del libro The Story of Mathematics, escrito por Anne Rooney.