The Parisian problem
Date
December 1667/January 1668
Creator
Henry Oldenburg (1612 - 1677, German) , Scientific correspondent
Object type
Archive reference number
Manuscript page number
p1
Material
Dimensions
height (page): 303mm
width (page): 195mm
width (page): 195mm
Subject
Description
Diagram of the ‘French’ or ‘Parisian’ problem set by François Dulaurens. The problem was presented at the meeting of the Royal Society on 12 December 1667, and forwarded to John Collins, William Brouncker and John Wallis.
The problem, as understood by Wallis, was as follows: 'given in number the circle CBD with radius CB, and the inscribed line BD protracted as far as may be desired beyond the circle, yet so that BY drawn parallel to CF may cut the circle in Y. To find the true value of the line BY, not an approximation (which may easily be obtained from a table of sines)'.
This is a copy of William Brouncker's solution in Henry Oldenburg's hand, intended for Wallis. Brouncker's solution was sent to Robert Boyle on 28 January 1668, who showed it to Wallis, who in turn offered his proof that BY was rational in his letter to Oldenburg dated 8 February 1668 (EL/W1/39).
The problem, as understood by Wallis, was as follows: 'given in number the circle CBD with radius CB, and the inscribed line BD protracted as far as may be desired beyond the circle, yet so that BY drawn parallel to CF may cut the circle in Y. To find the true value of the line BY, not an approximation (which may easily be obtained from a table of sines)'.
This is a copy of William Brouncker's solution in Henry Oldenburg's hand, intended for Wallis. Brouncker's solution was sent to Robert Boyle on 28 January 1668, who showed it to Wallis, who in turn offered his proof that BY was rational in his letter to Oldenburg dated 8 February 1668 (EL/W1/39).
Transcription
Solutio a Nobilissimo Vice-Comite Brounker, ut sequitur.
Transcribed by the Making Visible project
Transcribed by the Making Visible project
Object history
12 December 1667, ‘[Mr. Oldenburg] brought in an algebraical problem sent to him from Paris, as proposed by Monsr. de Laurens, which was ordered to be communicated for solution to Mr. Collins’ (Birch 2:226).
Related fellows
William Brouncker, 2nd Viscount Brouncker of Lyons (1620 - 1684, British) , Mathematician
John Collins (1625 - 1683, British) , Mathematician, Mathematician
Henry Oldenburg (1612 - 1677, German) , Scientific correspondent
John Collins (1625 - 1683, British) , Mathematician, Mathematician
Henry Oldenburg (1612 - 1677, German) , Scientific correspondent
Associated place