(September 24, 1501 – September 21, 1576)

One of the most versatile scientists of the Renaissance period, Gerolamo Cardano was a jack-of-all-trade (and master-of-all) who made pioneering contributions to maths, physics, chemistry and biology. In the process, he inspired generations of researchers. Apart from fortifying the foundations of Algebra, Arithmetic and Geometry, he placed both Probability Theory and Binomial Theorem on the plinths from where Pierre de Fermat, Blaise Pascal, Isaac Newton, Gottfried Leibniz, and the Bernoulli brothers took them farther. Cardano was also among the first Europeans to appreciate the usefulness of negative numbers. These he employed in his works on cubic and quartic equations. As a polymath, he drew from his vast scientific cognition to develop some of the earliest known Combination Locks (which were hi-tech attainments then). His good understanding of biology motivated him into practicing medicine: where he became the first person to research on typhoid fever, albeit without an official license. However, the brilliant inroads he made secured him admission into Royal College of Physicians. Similarly, he delved into alchemy, as well as the precursors of modern chemistry. His works in physics pertained mainly to astronomy; although as an equipment maker, he engineered gadgets such as gimbals and propeller shafts (which are also known as Cardan shafts in his honor). Among his 200-plus treatises is De Proportionibus, which was published in 1570, and dealt with hypocycloids. But in a bizarre twist, Gerolamo Cardano reportedly predicted his own death-date: by committing suicide. The 50-kilometer-wide Cardanus lunar crater is dedicated to his memory.

20 Comments

  1. I remember reading somewhere that although he worked as a doctor, he was among the first Europeans to publish solutions of general cubic and quartic equations.

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