Polimeter
From Inventions
Nome coined by the inventor.
Contents |
Inventor
Muzio Oddi (1569-1639)
Historic Period
1633
Description
Proportional compasses with flat legs designed by the mathematician from Urbino Muzio Oddi as a variant of Galileo's geometric and military compasses. Like Galileo's instrument, the polimeter is engraves with seven proportional lines differing from their predecessor basically in their names: "fecund" lines for dividing straight lines into equal parts "inscribed" lines for dividing circumferences, "emballic" lines for constructing regular polygons having the same area, "spheralic" lines to determine the ratio between the diameter and weight of balls made of the same material, "metallic" lines for ratios between balls made of different material, "steromic" lines to determine the sides of the five regular bodies, and the "caliber", a line equal to the diameter of a ball of tin weighing 38 pounds.
Bibliographical Resources
Oddi, Muzio. Fabbrica et uso del compasso polimetro, appresso Francesco Fobella, Milano, 1633.
Links (External)
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9e/Fabrica_et_uso_del_compasso_polimetro-1633.pdf (Italian)
Author of the entry: Filippo Camerota
