Diagram relating to Alhazen's problem
Date
1 July 1672
Creator
Unknown, Artist
Object type
Archive reference number
Manuscript page number
p6
Material
Dimensions
height (page): 330mm
width (page): 217mm
width (page): 217mm
Subject
Description
Diagram from Huygens's discussion of Alhazen's problem in a letter to Henry Oldenburg dated 1 July 1672, Paris. This is not in Huygens's hand. The letter was read to the Royal Society on 3 July 1672, and printed in Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society, vol. 8, no. 98 (1673), pp. 6140-46.
The problem attributed to Alhazen (the Latinized name of Ibn al-Haytham (965-1045)) is to find a point of reflection on the surface of a spherical mirror in relation to two points, the eye and the visible object.
The problem attributed to Alhazen (the Latinized name of Ibn al-Haytham (965-1045)) is to find a point of reflection on the surface of a spherical mirror in relation to two points, the eye and the visible object.
Object history
3 July 1672: ‘From Mons. Huygens, dated at Paris, 1st July, 1672, containing his thoughts upon Mons. Slusius’s last construction of the problem of Alhazen, with his own calculus of the same; as also concerning Mr. Newton’s reflecting telescope, and applauding his new doctrine of light’ (Birch 3:56).
Printed in R. F. Slusius and C. Huygens, 'Continuation of the optical problem of Alhazen,' Phil. Trans. vol. 8, no. 98 (November 1673), pp. 6140-46.
Printed in R. F. Slusius and C. Huygens, 'Continuation of the optical problem of Alhazen,' Phil. Trans. vol. 8, no. 98 (November 1673), pp. 6140-46.
Related fellows
Christiaan Huygens (1629 - 2006, Dutch) , Natural philosopher
Henry Oldenburg (1612 - 1677, German) , Scientific correspondent
Henry Oldenburg (1612 - 1677, German) , Scientific correspondent
Associated place