Milestones of Science Books

TARTAGLIA, Niccolo.

Quesiti, et inventioni diverse.

Venice: Venturino Ruffinelli, 1546.

1st Edition. Hardcover. Very Good. Item #002666

4to (203 x 150 mm). [6], 5-132 ff. Including woodcut portrait of the author, initials and numerous illustrations and diagrams, 2 ff. table of contents, lacking the folding plate. Signatures: A⁴ chi² B-Z⁴ Aa-Kk⁴. Recently bound in limp vellum with new endpapers, red-sprinkled edges. Internally quite crisp and clean, small wormtrack to upper blank margin of first 4 leaves. A fine copy with good impression on strong paper. Provenance: from an Italian private collection (Italian export license issued and provided). ----

Adams T-i83; BM/STC Italian p. 658; Norman 2055; DSB XIII, pp. 62-63. FIRST EDITION. This copy lacks the folding plate as usual, but contains the two unsigned conjugate leaves with table of contents (bound after signature A), often missing in other copies. "Tartaglia's Questi contains his most important mathematical accomplishment: the independent discovery of the rule for solving third-degree (cubic) equations, a rule first formulated but left unpublished by Scipione de Ferro in the first or second decate of the 16th century. Tartaglia re-solved the problem in 1535 but kept the details a secret for many years, using his knowledge to gain advantage in the frequent public disputations held between scholars in his era. He finally revealed the rule to Girolamo Cardano in 1539 after Cardano swore to keep it secret, but six years later Cardano broke his promise by publishing the rule in his Ars magna ... Cardano did credit both Tartaglia and Ferro with the discovery of the rule, but Tartaglia was incensed at Cardano's breach of promise and abused him roundly in Book IX of the Questi, in which he also published his own version of his researches into third-degree Equations." (Norman 2055). Visit our website for additional images and information.

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