VERY RARE "Playfair's Axiom" John Playfair Hand Written Note COA for Sale

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VERY RARE "Playfair's Axiom" John Playfair Hand Written Note COA For Sale

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VERY RARE "Playfair's Axiom" John Playfair Hand Written Note COA:
$499.99

Up for sale a VERY RARE! "Playfair's Axiom" John Playfair Hand Written Note.This item iscertified authentic by Todd Mueller Autographs and comes with their Certificateof Authenticity.

ES-8534
John PlayfairFRSE,FRS(10March 1748 – 20 July 1819) was a Church of Scotland minister, remembered as ascientist and mathematician, and a professor ofnatural philosophyattheUniversity of Edinburgh.He is best known for his bookIllustrations of the Huttonian Theory ofthe Earth(1802), which summarised the work ofJames Hutton.[1]It was through this book that Hutton'sprinciple ofuniformitarianism,later taken up byCharles Lyell, firstreached a wide audience. Playfair's textbookElements of Geometrymadea brief expression ofEuclid'sparallel postulateknownnow asPlayfair's axiom. In 1783he was a co-founder of theRoyal Society of Edinburgh.He served as General Secretary to the society 1798–1819. Born at Benvie,slightly west ofDundeeto Margaret Young (1719/20 –1805) and Reverend James Playfair (died 1772), thekirk ministerat Benvie. Playfair was educatedat home until the age of 14, when he entered theUniversity of St Andrewstostudy divinity. He also did further studies atEdinburgh University. In1766, when only 18, he was a candidate for the chair of mathematics inMarischal College(now part of theUniversity of Aberdeen),and, although he was unsuccessful, his claims were admitted to be high. Sixyears later (1772) he applied for the chair of natural philosophy (physics) atSt Andrews University, but again without success. In 1773 he was licensed topreach by theChurch of Scotlandandwas offered the united parishes ofLiffand his home parish of Benvie (made vacant by thedeath of his father). However, Playfair chose to continue his studies inmathematics and physics, and in 1782 he resigned his charge to become the tutorofAdam Ferguson. By thisarrangement Playfair regularly visitedEdinburghand went on to cultivate theliteraryandscientific society for which the city was at that time specially distinguished.In particular, he attended the natural history course ofJohn Walker. ThroughNevil Maskelyne, whose acquaintance he had first made in thecourse of the celebratedSchiehallion experimentsin1774, he also gained access to the scientific circles ofLondon. In 1785 whenDugald Stewartsucceeded Ferguson in theUniversity of Edinburgh Chair of Moral Philosophy, Playfairsucceeded the former to become the chair of mathematics. In 1795 Playfairpublished an alternative, more stringent formulation of Euclid's parallelpostulate, which is now calledPlayfair's axiom. Although the axiom bears Playfair's name, hedid not create it, but credited others, in particularWilliam Ludlamwith its prior use. In 1802 Playfairpublished his celebrated volume entitledIllustrations of the HuttonianTheory of the Earth.The influence exerted byJames Huttonon the development of geology is thought tobe largely due to its publication. In 1805 Playfair exchanged the Chair ofMathematics for that of natural philosophy in succession toJohn Robison, whom also hesucceeded as general secretary to theRoyal Society of Edinburgh.He took a prominent part, on the liberal side, in theecclesiasticalcontroversy that arose in connectionwithSir John Leslie'sappointmentto the post he had vacated, and published asatiricalletter (1806). Playfair was an opponentofGottfried Leibniz'svis vivaprinciple, an early version of theconservation of energy. In1808, he launched an attack[6]onJohn SmeatonandWilliam Hyde Wollaston'swork championing the theory. In 1808 he also published a review ofLaplace'sTraitéde Mécanique Celeste. Playfair's brotherswere architectJames Playfair, solicitorRobert Playfair and engineerWilliam Playfair. His nephew,William Henry Playfair(1790–1857)was an eminent architect in Scotland. In later life he admired and proposed tothe wealthy widowJane Apreece. She turned him down andmarriedSir Humphry Davy. He diedofstranguryon 20 July 1819, and although an eminent manwas buried in an unmarked grave inOld Calton Burial Ground,on Waterloo Place in Edinburgh. His, and his brother, James's graves weremarked by a plaque unveiled in 2011 following a local campaign.[9]The monument to his memory by William HenryPlayfair, onCalton Hill is visible from the spot.