Napier Biography

John Napier

John Napier was born in the year 1550 and was the son of Sir Archibald Napier and Janet Bothwell. Born to Scottish nobility Napier lived his youth in Edinburgh, Scotland. John Napier started his education when he turned the age of thirteen was soon believed to have dropped out. Instead Napier went to Europe to further his education. At the ripe age of twenty-one he returned to Scotland and married Elizabeth Stirling. This couple had two children before in 1579 Elizabeth died. After her death Napier was married one more time to Agnes Chisholm with whom he had ten children.

Napier describes his love for mathematics as only a hobby because he did not have time in this busy schedule. Although logarithms are most associated with Napier he also played an important role in spherical triangles, trigonometric functions, and turning fractions into decimals. His best work, however, is focused on his work on logarithms. He accomplished this work living in Gartness. His work on logarithms is seen in his book "Mirifici logarithmorum canonis." When comparing logarithms of today with those associated during Napier's time it can be seen that they are different. Napier did not have the luxury of algebra during his time because it was not developed enough. Instead Napier had to take a realistic approach and therefore Napier's logarithms are not to every base. Napier was a pioneer who efforts would help those who would proceed him. Kepler used logarithms in his discovers and Newton theory of gravitation used much of the math developed by Napier. Laplace showed the importance of logarithms when he said the following "by shortening the labours, doubled the life of the astronomer". This illustrates the vast importance of logarithms in society today.