Mathematical Treasure: Charles de Bovelles' Practical Geometry

This little book on practical geometry was published by Charles de Bovelles (1475–1566) in 1555. De Bovelles was the author of the first scientific book published in France, Géometrié en françoys (1511). In his composition of Geometrie Practique, the author received help from Oronce Fine in the drawing of diagrams.

On the first page of the text, de Bovelles advised his readers of the importance of the use of instruments; namely, the rule, the compass, and the set-square:

On pages 35 and 36 is a discussion of the properties of inscribed and circumscribed regular polygons:

These images are presented through the courtesy of the Dartmouth College Libraries, Hanover, New Hampshire.

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