|
The Nursery Rhyme,
Multiplication is
vexation can be
dated back to an
Elizabethan document
dated 1570 called "A
description of the
Admirable Table of
Logarithmes ..."It
was written by the
Scottish
mathematician John
Napier (1550-1617)
and printed for
Simon Waterson in
1618. John Napier
was one of the real
geniuses of the *Elizabethan era who
invented logarithms
(1614) and ‘Napier’s
bones’ which was an
early mechanical
device for
calculating
multiplication and
division. The word
algorithm is derived
from the Greek word arithmos which means
'number'. He was the
son of the 7th Laird
of Merchiston, Sir
Archibald Napier and
was born at
Merchiston Castle.
He was therefore
given the apt
nickname the
Marvelous Merchiston"
* We recommend the
following page for
additional Facts and
Information
Elizabethan era
Help us to maintain
our history and
heritage through the
words and lyrics of
old Nursery Rhymes
like 'Multiplication
is vexation' |
