Mathematical Treasure: Bonaventura Cavalieri’s Lo specchio ustorio

Author(s):

Frank J. Swetz (The Pennsylvania State University)

In his book Lo specchio ustorio (The burning glass or, Treatise on conical sections, and some of their admirable effects on light, heat, cold, sound and even motion) Bonaventura Cavalieri (1598–1647) discussed physical uses for the conic sections. This is a 1650 reprint of the 1632 original.

Title page from Bonaventura Cavalieri’s Lo specchio ustorio (1650 printing).

A sample discussion and some illustrative plates:

Page 8 from Bonaventura Cavalieri’s Lo specchio ustorio (1650 printing).

Page 9 from Bonaventura Cavalieri’s Lo specchio ustorio (1650 printing).

Page 10 from Bonaventura Cavalieri’s Lo specchio ustorio (1650 printing).

Plate 1 from Bonaventura Cavalieri’s Lo specchio ustorio (1650 printing).

Plate 5 from Bonaventura Cavalieri’s Lo specchio ustorio (1650 printing).

A full digitization is available from Museo Galileo.

Index to Mathematical Treasures

Frank J. Swetz (The Pennsylvania State University), "Mathematical Treasure: Bonaventura Cavalieri’s Lo specchio ustorio," Convergence (February 2023)

Convergence

Tags:

History of Mathematics