Valentinus Otho
Encyclopedia
Valentinus Otho or Valentin Otto (born around 1550 possibly in Magdeburg
- 1603 in Prag) was a German
mathematician
and astronomer
.
an approximation of Pi
as
.
In 1575 he supported Georg Joachim Rheticus
in his trigonometric tables. The next year they went to Kaschau
in Hungary
where Rheticus died. Thus, Otho inherited the De revolutionibus manuscript of Nicolaus Copernicus
that Rheticus had published in 1543 in Nuremberg
.
Otho became Professor for astronomy in Wittenberg, but when the rulers of Saxony did not support the tables, he moved to Heidelberg
where Elector Friedrich IV sponsored the '’Opus Palatinum de Triangulis’’ in 1596.
Magdeburg
Magdeburg , is the largest city and the capital city of the Bundesland of Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. Magdeburg is situated on the Elbe River and was one of the most important medieval cities of Europe....
- 1603 in Prag) was a German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
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 astronomer
Astronomer
An astronomer is a scientist who studies celestial bodies such as planets, stars and galaxies.Historically, astronomy was more concerned with the classification and description of phenomena in the sky, while astrophysics attempted to explain these phenomena and the differences between them using...
.
Life
In 1573 he came to Wittenberg, proposing to Johannes PraetoriusJohannes Praetorius
Johann Richter or Johannes Praetorius was a Bohemian German mathematician and astronomer.- Life :...
an approximation of Pi
Pi
' is a mathematical constant that is the ratio of any circle's circumference to its diameter. is approximately equal to 3.14. Many formulae in mathematics, science, and engineering involve , which makes it one of the most important mathematical constants...
as
.In 1575 he supported Georg Joachim Rheticus
Georg Joachim Rheticus
Georg Joachim von Lauchen, also known as Rheticus , was a mathematician, cartographer, navigational-instrument maker, medical practitioner, and teacher. He is perhaps best known for his trigonometric tables and as Nicolaus Copernicus's sole pupil...
in his trigonometric tables. The next year they went to Kaschau
Košice
Košice is a city in eastern Slovakia. It is situated on the river Hornád at the eastern reaches of the Slovak Ore Mountains, near the border with Hungary...
in Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
where Rheticus died. Thus, Otho inherited the De revolutionibus manuscript of Nicolaus Copernicus
Nicolaus Copernicus
Nicolaus Copernicus was a Renaissance astronomer and the first person to formulate a comprehensive heliocentric cosmology which displaced the Earth from the center of the universe....
that Rheticus had published in 1543 in Nuremberg
Nuremberg
Nuremberg[p] is a city in the German state of Bavaria, in the administrative region of Middle Franconia. Situated on the Pegnitz river and the Rhine–Main–Danube Canal, it is located about north of Munich and is Franconia's largest city. The population is 505,664...
.
Otho became Professor for astronomy in Wittenberg, but when the rulers of Saxony did not support the tables, he moved to Heidelberg
Heidelberg
-Early history:Between 600,000 and 200,000 years ago, "Heidelberg Man" died at nearby Mauer. His jaw bone was discovered in 1907; with scientific dating, his remains were determined to be the earliest evidence of human life in Europe. In the 5th century BC, a Celtic fortress of refuge and place of...
where Elector Friedrich IV sponsored the '’Opus Palatinum de Triangulis’’ in 1596.
Work
- Opus Palatinum de Triangulis
- De triangulis globi sine angulo recto libri quinque