Christoph Rudolff
Encyclopedia
Christoff Rudolff was the author of the first German textbook on algebra
.
Rudolff was from 1517 to 1521 a student of Henricus Grammateus (Schreyber from Erfurt) at the University of Vienna
and was the author of a book computing, under the title: Behend und hübsch Rechnung durch die kunstreichen regeln Algebre.
He introduced the radical symbol (√) for the square root
. It is believed that this was because it resembled a lowercase "r" (for "radix"), though there is no direct evidence. Cajori
only says that a "dot is the embryo of our present symbol for the square root" though it is "possible, perhaps probable" that Rudolff's later symbols are not dots but 'r's.
Furthermore, he used the meaningful definition that x0 = 1.
Algebra
Algebra is the branch of mathematics concerning the study of the rules of operations and relations, and the constructions and concepts arising from them, including terms, polynomials, equations and algebraic structures...
.
Rudolff was from 1517 to 1521 a student of Henricus Grammateus (Schreyber from Erfurt) at the University of Vienna
University of Vienna
The University of Vienna is a public university located in Vienna, Austria. It was founded by Duke Rudolph IV in 1365 and is the oldest university in the German-speaking world...
and was the author of a book computing, under the title: Behend und hübsch Rechnung durch die kunstreichen regeln Algebre.
He introduced the radical symbol (√) for the square root
Square root
In mathematics, a square root of a number x is a number r such that r2 = x, or, in other words, a number r whose square is x...
. It is believed that this was because it resembled a lowercase "r" (for "radix"), though there is no direct evidence. Cajori
Florian Cajori
Florian Cajori was one of the most celebrated historians of mathematics in his day.- Biography :...
only says that a "dot is the embryo of our present symbol for the square root" though it is "possible, perhaps probable" that Rudolff's later symbols are not dots but 'r's.
Furthermore, he used the meaningful definition that x0 = 1.