Johann van Waveren Hudde
Encyclopedia
Johannes Hudde (23 April 1628, Amsterdam
– 15 April 1704, Amsterdam) was a burgomaster
(mayor) of Amsterdam between 1672 – 1703, a mathematician
and governor of the Dutch East India Company
.
As a "burgemeester" of Amsterdam he ordered that the city canals should be flushed at high tide and that the polluted water of the town "secreten" should be diverted to pits outside the town instead of into the canals. He also promoted hygiene in and around the town's water supply.
"Huddes stones" were marker stones that were used to mark the summer high water level at several points in the city. They later were the foundation for the "NAP
", the now Europe-wide system for measuring water levels.
. From 1654 to 1663 he worked under van Schooten and with his fellow students Johan de Witt
and Hendrik van Heuraet
they translated Descartes's La Géométrie into Latin. Each of the students added to the work. Hudde's contribution consisted of a study on maxima and minima
and a theory of equations
.
Hudde corresponded with Baruch Spinoza
and Christiaan Huygens, Johann Bernoulli
, Isaac Newton
and Leibniz. Newton and Leibniz mention Hudde many times and used some of his ideas in their own work on infinitesimal calculus
.
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
– 15 April 1704, Amsterdam) was a burgomaster
Burgomaster
Burgomaster is the English form of various terms in or derived from Germanic languages for the chief magistrate or chairman of the executive council of a sub-national level of administration...
(mayor) of Amsterdam between 1672 – 1703, a 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....
and governor of the Dutch East India Company
Dutch East India Company
The Dutch East India Company was a chartered company established in 1602, when the States-General of the Netherlands granted it a 21-year monopoly to carry out colonial activities in Asia...
.
As a "burgemeester" of Amsterdam he ordered that the city canals should be flushed at high tide and that the polluted water of the town "secreten" should be diverted to pits outside the town instead of into the canals. He also promoted hygiene in and around the town's water supply.
"Huddes stones" were marker stones that were used to mark the summer high water level at several points in the city. They later were the foundation for the "NAP
Normaal Amsterdams Peil
Normaal Amsterdams Peil or Amsterdam Ordnance Datum is a vertical datum in use in large parts of Western Europe. Originally created for use in the Netherlands, it was adopted by Prussia in 1879 under the name Normalnull, and in 1955 by other European countries.Mayor Johannes Hudde of Amsterdam in...
", the now Europe-wide system for measuring water levels.
Mathematician
Johannes Hudde studied law in Leiden, but turned to maths under the influence of his teacher Frans van SchootenFrans van Schooten
Franciscus van Schooten was a Dutch mathematician who is most known for popularizing the analytic geometry of René Descartes.-Life:...
. From 1654 to 1663 he worked under van Schooten and with his fellow students Johan de Witt
Johan de Witt
Johan de Witt, heer van Zuid- en Noord-Linschoten, Snelrewaard, Hekendorp and IJsselveere was a key figure in Dutch politics in the mid 17th century, when its flourishing sea trade in a period of globalization made the United Provinces a leading European power during the Dutch Golden Age...
and Hendrik van Heuraet
Hendrik van Heuraet
Hendrik van Heuraet was a Dutch mathematician. He was noted as one of the founders of the integral. From [1653 he studied at Leiden University where he interacted with Frans van Schooten, Johannes Hudde, and Christiaan Huygens. In 1658 he and Hudde left for Saumur in France. He returned to Leiden...
they translated Descartes's La Géométrie into Latin. Each of the students added to the work. Hudde's contribution consisted of a study on maxima and minima
Maxima and minima
In mathematics, the maximum and minimum of a function, known collectively as extrema , are the largest and smallest value that the function takes at a point either within a given neighborhood or on the function domain in its entirety .More generally, the...
and a theory of equations
Theory of equations
In mathematics, the theory of equations comprises a major part of traditional algebra. Topics include polynomials, algebraic equations, separation of roots including Sturm's theorem, approximation of roots, and the application of matrices and determinants to the solving of equations.From the point...
.
Hudde corresponded with Baruch Spinoza
Baruch Spinoza
Baruch de Spinoza and later Benedict de Spinoza was a Dutch Jewish philosopher. Revealing considerable scientific aptitude, the breadth and importance of Spinoza's work was not fully realized until years after his death...
and Christiaan Huygens, Johann Bernoulli
Johann Bernoulli
Johann Bernoulli was a Swiss mathematician and was one of the many prominent mathematicians in the Bernoulli family...
, Isaac Newton
Isaac Newton
Sir Isaac Newton PRS was an English physicist, mathematician, astronomer, natural philosopher, alchemist, and theologian, who has been "considered by many to be the greatest and most influential scientist who ever lived."...
and Leibniz. Newton and Leibniz mention Hudde many times and used some of his ideas in their own work on infinitesimal calculus
Infinitesimal calculus
Infinitesimal calculus is the part of mathematics concerned with finding slope of curves, areas under curves, minima and maxima, and other geometric and analytic problems. It was independently developed by Gottfried Leibniz and Isaac Newton starting in the 1660s...
.
External links
- http://www.gravenopinternet.nl Grave of Hudde in the "Oude kerk" van Amsterdam
- http://home.tiscali.nl/~wr2777/NAP-niveau.htm Pagina about NAP and Hudde's stones
- http://turnbull.mcs.st-and.ac.uk/~history///Biographies/Hudde.html Mathematical biography