Abstract
In this chapter, we review the development of the magnet as a means for navigational purposes. Around 1600, knowledge of the properties and behavior of magnetic needles began to grow in England mainly through the publication of William Gilbert’s influential book De Magnete. Inspired by the rapid advancement of knowledge on one side and of the English fleet on the other, scientists associated with Gresham College began thinking of using magnetic instruments to measure the degree of latitude without being dependent on a clear sky, a quiet sea, or complicated navigational tables. The construction and actual use of these magnetic instruments, called dip rings, is a tragic episode in the history of seafaring since the latitude does not depend on the magnetic field of the Earth but the construction of a table enabling seafarers to take the degree of latitude is certainly a highlight in the history of geomathematics.
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Notes
- 1.
The Silesian Bartholomäus Pitiscus (1561–1613) authored the first useful text book on trigonometry: Trigonometriae sive dimensione triangulorum libre quinque, Frankfurt 1595, which was published as an appendix to a book on astronomy by Abraham Scultetus. First independent editions were published in Frankfurt 1599, 1608, 1612 and in Augsburg 1600. The first English translation appeared in 1630.
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Sonar, T. (2015). Navigation on Sea: Topics in the History of Geomathematics. In: Freeden, W., Nashed, M., Sonar, T. (eds) Handbook of Geomathematics. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-54551-1_2
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-54551-1_2
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