Hutton, Charles

Manuscript volume containing a translation, [1800], by Charles Hutton of 'Book the 9th of the miscellaneous questions and inventions of Nicholas Tartalea (Niccolò Tartaglia) of Briscia: concerning the sciences of arithmetic, geometry and algebra and almucabala, commonly called the Rule of Coss, or Ars Major; and especially of the discovery for the case of the cube and first power equal to a given number, and its other cases...'. Reginald Rye, Goldsmith's Librarian of the University of London, states that the manuscript is in the handwriting of Charles Hutton.

Charles Hutton (1737-1823) was the son of a colliery labourer. He opened a mathematical school at Newcastle-upon-Tyne in 1760, and became Professor of Mathematics at the Woolwich Academy from 1773 to 1807. During this period, he also acted as editor of the Ladies Diary , 1773-1818. Hutton was a Fellow of the Royal Society, 1774, became the Copley medallist in 1778, and acted as its foreign secretary in 1779. Amongst other work, Hutton calculated the mean density of the earth in 1778. Publications: The compendious measurer; being a brief, yet comprehensive, treatise on mensuration and practical geometry. With an introduction to decimal and duodecimal arithmetic (G.G.J. and J. Robinson, and R. Baldwin ... and G. and J. Wilkie ..., London, 1786); The school-master's guide: or, a complete system of practical arithmetic, adapted to the use of schools (I. Thompson, Esq, Newcastle upon Tyne, 1764); A Computation of the length of the sine of a circular arc of one minute of a degree ; A course of mathematics, in two volumes: composed, and more especially designed, for the use of the gentlemen cadets in the Royal Military Academy at Woolwich (G.G. and J. Robinson, London, 1798); A mathematical and philosophical dictionary: containing an explanation of the terms, and an account of the several subjects, comprized under the heads mathematics, astronomy, and philosophy both natural and experimental ... also memoirs of the lives and writings of the most eminent authors, both ancient and modern (J. Johnson; G. G. & J. Robinson, London, 1795); A treatise on Mensuration, both in theory and practice (Newcastle-upon-Tyne, 1770); An account of the Calculations made from the survey and measures taken at Schehallien, in order to ascertain the mean density of the earth (London, 1779); Mathematical Tables ... containing ... logarithms ... with tables useful in mathematical calculations. To which is prefixed a large ... history of the ... writings relating to those subjects , etc.. London, 1785; The principles of bridges: containing the mathematical demonstrations of the properties of the arches, the thickness of the piers, the force of the water against them (T. Saint, London, 1772).

Single item.

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Collection level description.

Manuscript quarto. Bound in half-calf.

Compiled by Sarah Smith as part of the RSLP AIM25 Project.

The Lewis Walpole Library, Connecticut, USA, holds a catalogue of Hutton's mathematical library, 1815.

Copies may be made, subject to the condition of the original. Copying must be undertaken by the Palaeography Room staff, who will need a minimum of 24 hours to process requests.

This manuscript was part of the library of Olinthus Gregory, and was purchased at his sale in Mar 1842 by Professor Augustus de Morgan.