Pedro Nunes (nonfiction)
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Pedro Nunes (Portuguese: [ˈpedɾu ˈnunɨʃ]; Latin: Petrus Nonius; 11 January 1502 – 11 August 1578) was a Portuguese mathematician, cosmographer, and professor, from a New Christian (of Jewish origin) family.
Nunes, considered to be one of the greatest mathematicians of his time, is best known for his contributions in the nautical sciences (navigation and cartography), which he approached, for the first time, in a mathematical way.
He was the first to propose the idea of a loxodrome, and was also the inventor of several measuring devices, including the nonius (from which Vernier scale was derived), named after his Latin surname.
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External links:
- Pedro Nunes @ Wikipedia