Course of Mathematics

Course of Mathematics Fourth Volume. Containing the Doctrine of the Sphere of the World: Geography both ancient and modern, designated by degrees and minutes of longitudes and latitudes: and the Art of Navigation. Pierre Herigone, Professor of Mathematics. Paris, 1634. First Edition. At the Author's At Henry Le Gras Octavo (8vo) (17.5 x 12.4 cm). Full leather binding. Boards in full blond vellum of the period, smooth spine restored in 19th-century brown binding, Full calf leather. 6 ff (title and preface by Bassompierre), 504 pp. Fresh interior, slight worm holes without severity. Volume 4 is a complete work in itself. It is part of a set of 6 volumes written and published over several years. It is part of a still unified approach to the sciences in the 17th century, bringing together cosmology, astronomy, and geography in a single intellectual structure. It deals with the celestial sphere, constellations, principles of navigation, and the use of the compass. The work combines astronomical calculations, celestial tables, and geographical and maritime considerations, illustrating the still strong permeability between mathematical sciences and world sciences. This synthesis is part of an encyclopedic set in six volumes covering all the mathematics of the time, from algebra to mechanics, including optics and astronomy. Published in a context of scientific revolution marked by Kepler and Galileo, this work testifies to the transition between traditional cosmology and modern science. It presents an interest for the history of sciences and navigation techniques.