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Henry Briggs (February 1561 – 26 January 1630) was an English mathematician notable for changing the original logarithms invented by John Napier into common (base 10) logarithms, which are sometimes known as Briggsian logarithms in his honour. Briggs was a committed puritan〔David C. Lindberg, Ronald L. Numbers (1986). "God and Nature", p. 201.〕〔Cedric Clive Brown (1993), "Patronage, Politics, and Literary Traditions in England, 1558-1658", Wayne State University Press. p. 153: ''"Henry Briggs, the professor of mathematics, was a close friend of William Crashaw, and a committed Puritan venturer in the Virginia Company.''〕 and an influential professor in his time.〔Reijer Hooykaas (1974). "Scientific progress and religious dissent", Open University Press. p. 19: ''Like most Londoners, the founders and supervisors, as well as most of the professors, were in favour of Puritanism which in those days was the parallel 'modern' movement in politics and religion. The first professor of gemoetry (from 1599 to 1620) was Henry Briggs. Briggs numbered among his friends practically all the scientists of the day: Edward Wright, William Oughtred, Mark Ridley, and Lord Napier, to name but a few. Theologically, he was strongly puritan, having close relations with James Ussher...''〕 == Personal life == He was born at Warleywood, near Halifax, in Yorkshire, England. After studying Latin and Greek at a local grammar school, he entered St John's College, Cambridge, in 1577, and graduated in 1581. In 1588, he was elected of Fellow of St. John's. In 1592 he was made reader of the physical lecture founded by Thomas Linacre; he would also read some of the mathematical lectures as well. During this period, he took an interest in navigation and astronomy, collaborating with Edward Wright. In 1596, he became first professor in the recently founded puritan Gresham College, London; a puritan school where he taught geometry, astronomy and navigation. He would lecture there for nearly 23 years, and would make Gresham college a center of English mathematics, from which he would notably support the new ideas of Johannes Kepler. He was a friend of Christopher Heydon, the writer on astrology, though Briggs himself rejected astrology for religious reasons.〔Keith Thomas (2003). "Religion and the Decline of Magic". Penguin UK. ''"Henry Briggs, who had abandoned the study of astrology, partly because he found no certainty in its rules, but also because he feared that 'to those who addicted themselves to the practice of divining astrology, the Devil did at first secretly lend his assistance, and at length gradatim (unless God graciously prevented) entince them into contract."''〕 At this time, Briggs obtained a copy of ''Mirifici Logarithmorum Canonis Descriptio'', in which Napier introduced the idea of logarithms. Napier's formulation was awkward to work with, but the book fired Briggs' imagination - in his lectures at Gresham College he proposed the idea of base 10 logarithms in which the logarithm of 10 would be 1; and soon afterwards he wrote to the inventor on the subject. Briggs was active in many areas, and his advice in astronomy, surveying, navigation, and other activities like mining was frequently sought. Briggs in 1619 invested in the London Company, and he had two sons: Henry, who later emigrated to Virginia, and Thomas, who remained in England.〔Boddie, ''Southside Virginia Families'' p 104.〕 The lunar crater Briggs is named in his honour. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Henry Briggs (mathematician)」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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