First edition of the collected works of Viete (1540-1603), the most eminent French mathematician of the 16th century. Viete made substantial contributions to the development of algebra and trigonometry; all his writings were closely connected with his astronomical and cosmological work. He wrote the earliest treatise on symbolic algebra and introduced the use of letters for both known and unknown quantities, making it an essential part of algebra. This innovation, considered one of the most significant advances in the history of mathematics, prepared the way for the development of algebra. He gave the first systematic elaboration in the Occident of the methods of computing plane and spherical triangles by the aid of the six trigonometric functions.

韋達是十六世紀法國最傑出的數學家，對代數和三角學的發展作出了重大貢獻。...[ Read more ]

First edition of the collected works of Viete (1540-1603), the most eminent French mathematician of the 16th century. Viete made substantial contributions to the development of algebra and trigonometry; all his writings were closely connected with his astronomical and cosmological work. He wrote the earliest treatise on symbolic algebra and introduced the use of letters for both known and unknown quantities, making it an essential part of algebra. This innovation, considered one of the most significant advances in the history of mathematics, prepared the way for the development of algebra. He gave the first systematic elaboration in the Occident of the methods of computing plane and spherical triangles by the aid of the six trigonometric functions.

韋達是十六世紀法國最傑出的數學家，對代數和三角學的發展作出了重大貢獻。