Adriaan van Roomen
Encyclopedia
Adriaan van Roomen also known as Adrianus Romanus, was a Flemish
mathematician
.
, the son of Adriaan Van Roomen and Maria Van Den Daele. He became a professor, and then travelled extensively in Europe
.
After studying at the Jesuit College in Cologne
, Roomen studied medicine at Louvain. Roomen was professor of mathematics and medicine at Louvain from 1586 to 1592, he then went to Würzburg
where again he was professor of medicine and became "Mathematician to the Chapter". He met Kepler, and discussed with François Viète
two questions about equations and tangencies. He then spent some time in Italy
, particularly with Clavius in Rome
in 1585.
He was ordained a priest
in 1604. After 1610 he tutored mathematics in Poland
.
He worked in algebra
, trigonometry
and geometry
; and on the decimal expansion of π
.
His publication of 1595, Parvum theatrum urbium, contained Latin verse on the cities of Italy (possibly written by Thomas Edwards
).
Flanders
Flanders is the community of the Flemings but also one of the institutions in Belgium, and a geographical region located in parts of present-day Belgium, France and the Netherlands. "Flanders" can also refer to the northern part of Belgium that contains Brussels, Bruges, Ghent and Antwerp...
mathematician
Mathematician
A mathematician is a person whose primary area of study is the field of mathematics. Mathematicians are concerned with quantity, structure, space, and change....
.
Life
Van Roomen was born in LeuvenLeuven
Leuven is the capital of the province of Flemish Brabant in the Flemish Region, Belgium...
, the son of Adriaan Van Roomen and Maria Van Den Daele. He became a professor, and then travelled extensively in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
.
After studying at the Jesuit College in Cologne
Cologne
Cologne is Germany's fourth-largest city , and is the largest city both in the Germany Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia and within the Rhine-Ruhr Metropolitan Area, one of the major European metropolitan areas with more than ten million inhabitants.Cologne is located on both sides of the...
, Roomen studied medicine at Louvain. Roomen was professor of mathematics and medicine at Louvain from 1586 to 1592, he then went to Würzburg
Würzburg
Würzburg is a city in the region of Franconia which lies in the northern tip of Bavaria, Germany. Located at the Main River, it is the capital of the Regierungsbezirk Lower Franconia. The regional dialect is Franconian....
where again he was professor of medicine and became "Mathematician to the Chapter". He met Kepler, and discussed with François Viète
François Viète
François Viète , Seigneur de la Bigotière, was a French mathematician whose work on new algebra was an important step towards modern algebra, due to its innovative use of letters as parameters in equations...
two questions about equations and tangencies. He then spent some time in Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, particularly with Clavius in Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
in 1585.
He was ordained a priest
Priest
A priest is a person authorized to perform the sacred rites of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particular, rites of sacrifice to, and propitiation of, a deity or deities...
in 1604. After 1610 he tutored mathematics in Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
.
He worked in algebra
Algebra
Algebra is the branch of mathematics concerning the study of the rules of operations and relations, and the constructions and concepts arising from them, including terms, polynomials, equations and algebraic structures...
, trigonometry
Trigonometry
Trigonometry is a branch of mathematics that studies triangles and the relationships between their sides and the angles between these sides. Trigonometry defines the trigonometric functions, which describe those relationships and have applicability to cyclical phenomena, such as waves...
and geometry
Geometry
Geometry arose as the field of knowledge dealing with spatial relationships. Geometry was one of the two fields of pre-modern mathematics, the other being the study of numbers ....
; and on the decimal expansion of π
Pi
' is a mathematical constant that is the ratio of any circle's circumference to its diameter. is approximately equal to 3.14. Many formulae in mathematics, science, and engineering involve , which makes it one of the most important mathematical constants...
.
His publication of 1595, Parvum theatrum urbium, contained Latin verse on the cities of Italy (possibly written by Thomas Edwards
Thomas Edwards (poet)
Thomas Edwards was an English poet who published two Ovidian epic poems Cephalus and Procris and Narcissus. Beyond his name, nothing is known with certainty of Edwards...
).
Works
- Parvvm Theatrvm Vrbivm siue Vrbivm Praecipvarvm Totivs Orbis Brevis & methodica Descriptio. - Francofvrti : Bassaeus, 1608. digital