Robert Recorde - wikipedia Robert Recorde Robert Recorde Robert Recorde ( 1512 -- 1558 ) Robert Recorde c. 1512 Tenby, Pembrokeshire, Wales 1558 ( 1559 ) London, England Nationality Welsh Alma mater University of Oxford University of Cambridge Known for Inventing the `` equals '' sign ( = ) Scientific career Fields Mathematician and physician Institutions University of Oxford Royal Mint Robert Recorde ( c. 1512 -- 1558 ) was a Welsh physician and mathematician. He invented the `` equals '' sign ( = ) and also introduced the pre-existing `` plus '' sign ( + ) to English speakers in 1557. Contents 1 Biography 2 Publications 3 See also 4 Notes 5 References 6 External links Biography A member of a respectable family of Tenby, Wales, born in 1512, Recorde entered the University of Oxford about 1525, and was elected a Fellow of All Souls College there in 1531. Having adopted medicine as a profession, he went to the University of Cambridge to take the degree of M.D. in 1545. He afterwards returned to Oxford, where he publicly taught mathematics, as he had done prior to going to Cambridge. It appears that he afterwards went to London, and acted as physician to King Edward VI and to Queen Mary, to whom some of his books are dedicated. He was also controller of the Royal Mint and served as `` Comptroller of Mines and Monies '' in Ireland. After being sued for defamation by a political enemy, he was arrested for debt and died in the King 's Bench Prison, Southwark, by the middle of June 1558. Publications The first known equation, equivalent to 14x + 15 = 71 in modern syntax. Recorde 's introduction of `` = '' Recorde published several works upon mathematical and medical subjects, chiefly in the form of dialogue between master and scholar, such as the following : The Grounde of Artes, teachings the Worke and Practise, of Arithmeticke, both in whole numbers and fractions ( 1543 ), the first English book on algebra. The Pathway to Knowledge, containing the First Principles of Geometry... bothe for the use of Instrumentes Geometricall and Astronomicall, and also for Projection of Plattes ( London, 1551 ) The Castle of Knowledge, containing the Explication of the Sphere both Celestiall and Materiall, etc. ( London, 1556 ) A book explaining Ptolemaic astronomy while mentioning the Copernican heliocentric model in passing. The Whetstone of Witte, whiche is the seconde parte of Arithmeteke : containing the extraction of rootes ; the cossike practise, with the rule of equation ; and the workes of Surde Nombers ( London, 1557 ). This was the book in which the equals sign was introduced. With the publication of this book Recorde is credited with introducing algebra into England with a systematic notation. a medical work, The Urinal of Physick ( 1548 ), frequently reprinted. Several books whose authors are unknown have been attributed to him : Cosmographiae isagoge, De Arte faciendi Horologium and De Usu Globorum et de Statu temporum. See also Equality Equals sign Equation History of mathematical notation St. Mary 's Church, Tenby The Ground of Arts Welsh mathematicians Zenzizenzizenzic -- a word to describe a number to the eighth power coined by Robert Recorde. Notes ^ Jump up to : Johnston, Stephen ( 2004 ). `` Recorde, Robert ( c. 1512 -- 1558 ) ''. Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Oxford University Press. doi : 10.1093 / ref : odnb / 23241. Retrieved 26 January 2012. ( subscription or UK public library membership required ) Jump up ^ Newman, James R. ( 1956 ). The World of Mathematics. Jump up ^ Jourdain, Philip E.B. ( 1913 ). The Nature of Mathematics. Jump up ^ Robert Recorde, The Whetstone of Witte ( London, England : John Kyngstone, 1557 ), p. 236 ( although the pages of this book are not numbered ). From the chapter titled `` The rule of equation, commonly called Algebers Rule '' ( p. 236 ) : `` Howbeit, for easie alteration of equations. I will propounde a fewe examples, bicause the extraction of their rootes, maie the more aptly bee wroughte. And to avoide the tediouse repetition of these woordes : is equalle to : I will sette as I doe often in worke use, a paire of paralleles, or Gemowe ( twin, from gemew, from the French gemeau ( twin / twins ), from the Latin gemellus ( little twin ) ) lines of one lengthe, thus : =, bicause noe. 2. thynges, can be moare equalle. '' ( However, for easy manipulation of equations, I will present a few examples in order that the extraction of roots may be more readily done. And to avoid the tedious repetition of these words `` is equal to '', I will substitute, as I often do when working, a pair of parallels or twin lines of the same length, thus : =, because no two things can be more equal. ) Jump up ^ The Urinal of Physick, by Robert Recorde, 1548 ; at Google Books Jump up ^ John Hall, `` An Historiall Expostulation '', p. 60. In Early English Poetry, Ballads, and Popular Literature of the Middle Ages, v. XI. London : T. Richards, 1844 References This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain : Chisholm, Hugh, ed. ( 1911 ). `` Recorde, Robert ''. Encyclopædia Britannica. 22 ( 11th ed. ). Cambridge University Press. p. 966. Newman, James R. ( 1956 ). The World of Mathematics Vol. 1 Commentary on Robert Recorde Jourdain, Philip E.B. ( 1913 ). The Nature of Mathematics Roberts, Gareth, and Fenny Smith, eds. Robert Recorde : The Life and Times of a Tudor Mathematician ( University of Wales Press, distributed by University of Chicago Press ; 2012 ) 232 pages Williams, Jack, Robert Recorde : Tudor Polymath, Expositor and Practitioner of Computation ( Heidelberg, Springer, 2011 ) ( History of Computing ). J.W.S. Cassels, Is This a Recorde ?, The Mathematical Gazette Vol. 60 No. 411 Mar 1976 p 59 - 61 Roberts, Gordon, Robert Recorde : Tudor Scholar and Mathematician ( University of Wales Press, 2016 ). External links Wikimedia Commons has media related to Robert Recorde. St. Andrew 's University Maths History biography Robert Recorde and other Welsh Mathematicians 100 Welsh Heroes -- Robert Recorde Earliest Uses of Symbols of Relation Earliest Known Uses of Some of the Words of Mathematics This contains numerous quotations from Recorde. RECORDE ( Robert ) in Charles Hutton 's Mathematical and Philosophical Dictionary Robert Recorde 's life and works on h2g2 Current publisher of Robert Recorde 's books in the form of original reproductions Works by Robert Record at Project Gutenberg Works by or about Robert Recorde at Internet Archive VIAF : 27412853 LCCN : n50046081 ISNI : 0000 0000 2079 6553 GND : 1028658494 SUDOC : 182301621 Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Robert_Recorde&oldid=803425973 '' Categories : 1510s births 1558 deaths People from Tenby Welsh scientists Welsh philosophers Alumni of the University of Oxford Alumni of the University of Cambridge Welsh mathematicians 16th - century mathematicians 16th - century Welsh medical doctors Fellows of All Souls College, Oxford People of the Tudor period People imprisoned for debt Hidden categories : Use dmy dates from August 2014 Articles with hCards Pages using infobox scientist with unknown parameters Wikipedia articles needing clarification from September 2015 Wikipedia articles incorporating a citation from the 1911 Encyclopaedia Britannica with Wikisource reference Wikipedia articles incorporating text from the 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica All articles with dead external links Articles with dead external links from December 2016 Articles with Project Gutenberg links Articles with Internet Archive links Wikipedia articles with VIAF identifiers Wikipedia articles with LCCN identifiers Wikipedia articles with ISNI identifiers Wikipedia articles with GND identifiers Talk Contents About Wikipedia Wikisource تۆرکجه Беларуская Беларуская ( тарашкевіца ) ‎ Català Čeština Cymraeg Deutsch Ελληνικά Español فارسی Français 한국어 Italiano עברית ქართული Magyar Nederlands Norsk Norsk nynorsk Polski Português Русский Slovenščina Tagalog Українська Tiếng Việt Edit links This page was last edited on 2 October 2017, at 13 : 25. 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Question: who was the first english mathematician who used the modern symbol of equality in 1557
Answer: Robert Recorde