Adriaan van Roomen facts for kids

Adriaan van Roomen (born September 29, 1561 – died May 4, 1615), also known as Adrianus Romanus, was a smart mathematician and a professor of medicine. He also studied medical astrology, which was a common practice back then. He came from the Duchy of Brabant in what was called the Habsburg Netherlands. He worked across Central Europe in the late 1500s and early 1600s.

As a mathematician, he worked on different areas like algebra, trigonometry, and geometry. He also focused on calculating the value of pi with many decimal places. He found a new way to solve a famous geometry problem called the Problem of Apollonius. He also wrote about changes to the Gregorian calendar reform.

The Life of Adriaan van Roomen

Adriaan van Roomen was born in Leuven. His parents were Adriaan Van Roomen and Maria Van Den Daele. He went to school in Leuven and also at the Jesuit College in Cologne. He started studying medicine at the University of Cologne. He also briefly studied medicine at the University of Leuven.

From 1586 to 1592, Van Roomen was a professor of mathematics and medicine in Louvain. He met famous scientists like Kepler. He also talked with François Viète about math problems involving equations. He then spent some time in Italy. In 1585, he visited Clavius in Rome. In 1595, he published a book called Parvum theatrum urbium. It had Latin poems about Italian cities.

A Busy Career

In June 1593, Van Roomen became the first professor of medicine at the new University of Würzburg. He was also chosen to be a doctor for Rudolf II, who was the emperor. From about 1595 to 1603, he created calendars and predictions. These were published with the support of Julius Echter, who was a prince-bishop of Würzburg.

At the same time, he worked as a mathematician for the king of Poland. He became famous for calculating the value of pi to sixteen decimal places. This was more accurate than François Viète's calculation, which had ten digits. After his wife passed away, he became a priest in 1604. In 1608, he became a canon at a church in Würzburg.

In 1605, he published a book called Mathesis Polemica in Frankfurt. This book explained how mathematics could be used in military situations. In June 1610, he was in Prague. After that, he traveled to Poland because Jan Zamoyski invited him. He gave public lectures on mathematics at Zamość. He returned to Würzburg at the end of 1611.

Later Years

Van Roomen started having health problems. He decided to travel to Spa to try the healing waters. But he died on the way in Mainz. His son was with him when he passed away.

See Also

• The Adriaan van Roomen affair
• Zamojski Academy

Images for kids

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  Universae mathesis idea, a book by Adriaan van Roomen from 1602.