Authorised form of name | Viviani; Vincenzo (1622 - 1703); mathematician and physicist |
Other forms of name | Vincent |
Vincentius |
Dates | 1622 - 1703 |
Nationality | Italian |
Place of birth | Florence, Grand Duchy of Tuscany, [modern day Italy], Europe |
Date of birth | 5 April 1622 |
Place of death | Florence, Grand Duchy of Tuscany, [modern day Italy], Europe |
Date of death | 22 September 1703 |
Research field | Mathematics |
Activity | Education: Studied humanities with the Jesuits and mathematics with Settimi Career: Assistant to Galileo Galilei at Arcetri (1639); wrote an account of Galileo's life; prevented from continuing his work by the opposition of the Roman Catholic Church, he turned his attention to reconstructing and translating the mathematical texts of the ancients, including Euclid's 'Elements'; declined the offer of scientific posts from King John II Casimir of Poland and Louis XIV of France Memberships: Accademia del Cimento, Florence; Academie Royale des Sciences (1699, Foreign Member ) |
Membership category | Fellow |
Date of election | 29/04/1696 |
Other Royal Society activity | Occasional correspondent on mathematical topics prior to election; Proposed on 30 May 1688; Submitted a paper on geometry (1701) |
Relationships | Parents: Jacopo di Michelangelo Viviani and Maria Alamanno del Nente |
PublishedWorks | RCN: R65073 RCN: R65070 RCN: 40147 |
OtherInfo | Viviani was particularly interested in the study of motion and of atmospheric pressure in relation to height. Throughout his studies and career, he became very good friends with Galileo Galilei and it was important to keep his work alive after his mentor's death in 1642. After the formation of the Accademia del Cimento, Viviani proved instrumental to its work and was involved in experiments with Evangelista Torricelli's barometer and in those relating to freezing water. |
Related images | Discover a selection of related images in our picture library |
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Source | Sources: Bulloch's Roll; DSB; Biographical Dictionary of Italians; MacTutor History of Mathematics archive References: Andrade, E N da C. 1964. 'Galileo', in Notes and Records, vol. 19, pp. 120-130 Beretta, M. 2000. 'At the source of Western science: the organization of experimentalism at the Accadmeia del Cimento (1657-1667)', in Notes and Records, vol. 54, pp. 131-151 Cook, A. 2003. '1703 and other anniversaries', in Notes and Records, vol. 57, pp. 1-2 Cook, A. 2004. 'Rome and the Royal Society, 1660-1740', in Notes and Records, vol. 58, pp. 3-19 |
Virtual International Authority File | http://viaf.org/viaf/7400500 |
Code | NA4529 |
RefNo | Title | Date |
IM/004743 | Viviani, Vincenzio | nd |
MS/427/303 | Copy letter from [Michael] Foster, Secretary of the Royal Society; to Dr. Wilson | 27 October 1883 |
LBO/11A/115 | Copy letter from Richard Waller, London, to Vincenzo Viviani | 20 March 1693/1694 |
P/0136 | Portrait of Viviani, Vincenzo | |
CLP/1/21/1 | Manuscript, 'Solutio problematis florentum' [Of the solution to the Florentine problem] by David Gregory in his letter to Edmond Halley | 1693 |
EL/W3/66 | Letter, from Richard Waller to Vincent Vivianus of Florence, dated at London | 1694 |
CLP/22i/64 | Paper, Account of 'De locis solidis secunda divinatio geometrica ... [Concerning geometrical prediction of the second solid place]' by Vincentio Viviani | 1701 |
CLP/1/21 | Paper, 'Solutio problematis florentum' [Of the solution to the Florentine problem] by David Gregory in his letter to Edmond Halley | 1693 |