Hamish Riley-Smith

STROMER,Heinrich. Algorithmus linealis numeratione[m] additionem subtractione[m] duplatione[m], mediatione[m], m[u]ltiplicationem, divisione[m], et progessionem una cu[m] regula de tri p[er] stringe[n]s Leipzig Martin Landsberg 1512

Quarto, 20.8 x 15.0 cm, thick 19th century marbled boards, spine chipped, 8ff unnumbered including the final blank leaf, colophon leaf with printer’s woodcut device of Martin Landsberg, woodcut diagrams in the text of computation by counters on an abacus on 9 pages, dedication with caption title Henric[us] Stromer Aurbachensis Andree Humelshayn Lipssensi Artium Baccalaurio, Latin text throughout, a fine large copy.

Rare. 2 copies in USA, 3 copies in Germany, no copies in UK. University of Michigan; Burndy Library. Bayerische Staatsbibliothek (2 copies); Thuringer. Earlier editions: Bayerische Staatsbibliothek 1504, 1507, Rostock 1507, Augsburg 1507, Wolfenbuttel 1505, 1510, 1511. Columbia University 1510.ONE OF THE EARLIEST TREATISES ON CALCULATION BY THE AID OF COUNTERS ON AN ABACUS. In the dedication Heinrich Stromer von Auerbach (1482-1542) refers to Aristotle and Boethius. There is a brief introduction on the use of counters or projectiles, then the work covers addition, subtraction, duplication, mediation, multiplication, division, progression, and the rule of three. The computations are performed ‘on the line’ i.e. by the ‘projectiles’ on a line abacus or algorithmus linealis.The text resembles several of the rare works on algorithms appearing at this time, in particular the earliest treatise on the subject Algorithmus linealis which was first printed in Leipzig around 1488 probably by Martin Landsberg, (printer in Leipzig until 1522); as well as the German Rechenmeister Balthasar Licht Algorithmus linealis Leipzig, Lotter c.1500, and Karl von Landshut Algorismus linealis Cracow 1513. Other works on the subject at this time include Algorithmus intergris c.1495; Algorithmus novus de integris c.1495; Algorithmus minutiarum c.1495; Johann Hurswirt Enchiridion algorismi Cologne 1501; and Algorithmus de integris Leipzig 1507.The abacus had been introduced very early as a mechanical contrivance for keeping numbers of different denominations apart. In Europe the complete decimal system with the zero was derived from the Arabs of the 12th century, and the arithmetic based on this system was known by the name algorithm, but by the beginning of the 16th century there was still difficulty finding a generally acceptable name for the character 0.OCLC: 2 copies Burndy Library, Univ.of Michigan. Not in Kress or Goldsmith. Not in Adams (1517 ed only). Not in the British Library (see BL German Books, pp.838, 1085-6, edition of Leipzig, Landsberg 1516); Not in Smith, Rara Arithmetica, see p.506 edition of Leipzig, Jacob Thanner 1510; S.Guenther, Der Algorithmus Lineans des H.Stromer. 1880.

£3950

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