Mathematician

John Napier John Napier was born in Merchiston Tower in 1550. He was born during one of the most exciting periods of Scottish and European history. Napier was known as the ‘Marvellous Merchiston’. This was a title that many people said that he well deserved. He got this title for his “genius and imaginative vision encompassed a number of fields.” At the age of thirteen John went into college at St. Salvator’s College in St. …

…and they suggested that logs should be base 10. Napier said that he had the same idea but he suggested that the new table should be constructed with base 10 and with log 1=0. Briggs began to construct the table as soon as they both agreed on it. Napier is best know for his invention of logarithms but pther mathematical contributions include mnemonic for formulas used in solving spherical triangles and two formulas known as Napier’s analogies.