John Napier

John Napier (he also signed as Neper, and Nepair)"Napier". Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary. 1550 – 4 April 1617)  was a Scottish landowner,  nicknamed "Marvellous Merchiston". He was a mathematician, physicist, and astronomer. He was the 8th Laird of Merchiston. His Latinized name was Ioannes Neper.

John Napier is best known as the discoverer of logarithms and Napier's constant.  He also invented the so-called "Napier's bones" and made common the use of the decimal point in arithmetic and mathematics.Cajori F. A history of mathematics. 2nd ed, p149. New York: Macmillan.

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Category:1550 births
Category:1617 deaths
Category:British mathematicians