Mathematical Treasure: Vincenzio Viviani on Conic Sections

Vincenzo Viviani (1622-1703) was an Italian mathematician who studied under Evangelista Torricelli and later became an assistant and lifelong friend and admirer of Galileo Galilei. His magnum opus was a study of the conic sections: De Locis Solidis (1701). Opposite the title page is a frontispiece showing a bust of Galileo that adorns the Palazzo Viviani in Florence, a monument constructed by Viviani to honor his friend and mentor, Galileo.

This image is supplied through the courtesy of the Science Library, University of Oklahoma.

Index to Mathematical Treasures