Robert Recorde
1510-1558
Welsh-English Mathematician
Robert Recorde introduced the "equals" symbol (=) to mathematical notation, and greatly advanced mathematical education in the British Isles. Not only was he the first to write on arithmetic, geometry, and astronomy in English rather than Latin, he introduced the study of algebra to England. Unfortunately, political intrigue cut short his career.
Born in 1510 in Tenby, Wales, Recorde was the son of Thomas and Rose Johns Recorde. His paternal great-grandparents had been English, and he spent his career in England, beginning with his studies at Oxford. He earned his B.A. from the latter in 1531, and after a stint at All Soul's College, moved to Cambridge, where he received his M.D. degree in 1545. Soon afterward, he gained a prestigious appointment at the court of King Edward VI. Recorde later married, fathering nine children.
Undoubtedly, Recorde's position at court, though it would eventually pose a liability that proved fatal, in the short run provided him with the means and the freedom to embark on his career as a mathematical writer. The first of his known publications was Grounde of Arts (1541), which in addition to its scholarly overview of contemporary mathematics provided practical knowledge concerning commercial math. The Pathway to Knowledge (1551) was a translation of the first four volumes in Euclid's (c. 325-c. 250 B.C.) Elements, and is the only one of Recorde's books not written in the form of a dialogue between master and student.
In The Whetstone of Witte (1557), Recorde presented the equals sign, using what he considered a hallmark of equality: two parallel lines of equal length. Other mathematical works included Castle of Knowledge (1556), on the properties of spheres, and The Gate of Knowledge, a text on measurement and the quadrant which has been lost. He also wrote an early urological treatise, The Urinal of Physick (1547).
Most of Recorde's books appeared in verse form, to make memorization easier, and provided students with detailed knowledge regarding how solutions were derived. His writing was highly readable by the standards of his time, and thus made his work popular in England if not on the Continent, where there were few readers of English.
In his political career, Recorde did not prove as successful as he had been in the world of mathematics. While serving as comptroller of the Bristol Mint in 1549, he came into conflict with Sir William Herbert, later Earl of Pembroke, and this led to his ostracism from court and his imprisonment for 60 days. Nor did an appointment as surveyor of mines in Ireland serve to recover his good standing. He again found himself at loggerheads with Pembroke, who he charged with malfeasance, and when the mines proved unprofitable, Recorde was removed from his position.
By then it was 1553, the same year Queen Mary I (Bloody Mary) took the throne following the death of her half-brother Edward. Three years later, when Recorde tried to gain reinstatement at court, Pembroke responded to the malfeasance charge by suing him for libel. Mary and her husband, King Philip of Spain, sided with Pembroke, and Recorde was sent to King's Bench Prison, where he was executed in 1558.
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