| Authorised form of name | Mercator; Nicolas (c 1620 - 1687); mathematician and astronomer |
| Other forms of name | Nicolaus |
| Kauffman, Nicolaus |
| Kauffman, Niklaus |
| Dates | c 1620 - 1687 |
| Nationality | British |
| Place of birth | Eutin, Duchy of Holstein [modern day Germany], Europe |
| Date of birth | c 1620 |
| Place of death | Versailles, France, Europe |
| Research field | Mathematics |
| Astronomy |
| Activity | Education:
University of Rostock (Mag Phil 1641); University of Leyden
Career:
Lived in the Netherlands (1642-1648); lectured at the University of Copenhagen (1648-1654); lived in Paris (1655-1657); Mathematics tutor to Joscelyne Percy, son of the 10th Earl of Northumberland, at Petworth, Sussex (1657); taught mathematics in London (1658-1682); designed a marine chronometer for Charles II; designed and constructed the fountains at Versailles (1682-1687)
|
| Membership category | Fellow |
| Date of election | 14/11/1666 |
| Proposer | Sir Robert Moray |
| Other Royal Society activity | Published in the 'Philosophical Transactions' on the theory of map projection (1666) |
| Relationships | Parents: Martin Kauffman and Hedwig Kauffman
Children: David Mercator |
| PublishedWorks | RCN: 41961
RCN: 38533 |
| OtherInfo | While studying at Leyden, Mercator became acquainted with fellow mathematician John Pell (FRS 1663). He was also in regular correspondence with polymath Samuel Hartlib. Shortly before his election as a Fellow of the Royal Society, he constructed and presented a marine timekeeper to Charles II. He wrote and published a series of university textbooks on astronomy, geography, and logarithms, for example. His most important work is considered to be 'Logarithmotechnica' (1667), the first book to publish a function in the form of an infinite series. |
| Related images | Discover a selection of related images in our picture library |
| Source | Sources:
Bulloch's Roll; DNB (MP); DSB; Aubrey; Hunter
Authority:
First Altname from DNB (MP), second from Hunter, third from DSB
References:
Wilbur Applebaum, 'A Descriptive Catalogue of the Manuscripts of Nicolaus Mercator, FRS (1620-87), in Sheffield University Library' in NR 1986-87 vol 41 pp 27-37
G H Turnbull, 'Samuel Hartlib's Influence on the Early History of the Royal Society' in NR 1953 vol 10 pp 101-130
Notes:
DSB gives birth date as c 1619. Possible death date of January 1687. Alternate place of birth also Cismar in modern-day Germany. Original nationality uncertain: possibly German or Dutch. Hunter has his nationality as British until he moved to France in 1683. |
| Virtual International Authority File | http://viaf.org/viaf/49303208 |
| Code | NA7751 |
| RefNo | Title | Date |
| RBO/7/101 | Five propositions concerning the quadrature of the circle by Nicholas Mercator | 1 March 1685 |
| CLP/8i/20a/2 | Diagram, elliptical orbit of planets by Nicolas Mercator | 1664 |
| CLP/8i/21 | Paper, 'Hypothesis astronomica nova' [New astronomical hypothesis] by Nicolas Mercator | 1664 |
| CLP/8i/21/5 | Diagram, astronomical table by Nicolas Mercator | 1664 |
| CLP/8i/21/7 | Diagram, astronomical table by Nicolas Mercator | 1664 |
| CLP/8i/21/1 | Manuscript, 'Hypothesis astronomica nova' [New astronomical hypothesis] by Nicolas Mercator | 1664 |
| CLP/8i/20a/1 | Manuscript, regarding the orbits of the planets by Nicolas Mercator | 1664 |
| CLP/8i/21/4 | Diagram, astronomical table by Nicolas Mercator | 1664 |
| CLP/8i/21/2 | Diagram, elliptical orbit of planets and table by Nicolas Mercator | 1664 |
| CLP/8i/21/10 | Diagram, astronomical table by Nicolas Mercator | 1664 |
| CLP/8i/21/9 | Diagram, astronomical table by Nicolas Mercator | 1664 |
| EL/M1/53 | Letter, from Nicholas Mercator to Henry Oldenburg | 16 July 1668 |
| CLP/8i/21/6 | Diagram, astronomical table by Nicolas Mercator | 1664 |
| CLP/8i/21/12 | Diagram, astronomical table by Nicolas Mercator | 1664 |
| CLP/24/2 | Paper, 'Vera circuli et hyperbolae quadratura in propria sua proportionis specie inventa et demonstrata [The true way to make the circle and hyperbola square according to their proper proportion, discovered and demonstrated]' by James Gregory | c. 17th century |
| CLP/8i/20a | Paper, regarding the orbits of the planets by Nicolas Mercator | 1664 |
| CLP/8i/21/11 | Diagram, astronomical table by Nicolas Mercator | 1664 |
| CLP/8i/21/3 | Diagram, astronomical table by Nicolas Mercator | 1664 |
| CLP/8i/21/8 | Diagram, astronomical table by Nicolas Mercator | 1664 |
| MC/37/45 | Letter from [Sidney Bertram] Gaythorpe, Bonnington Hotel, Southampton Row, London, W.C.1., to [Francis Alexander] Towle, Assistant Secretary, Royal Society, Burlington House, W.1 | 7 May 1923 |