Robert Anderson (mathematician) facts for kids
Robert Anderson lived and worked around the years 1668 to 1696. He was an English mathematician and also a silk-weaver from London.
John Collins, who was an early member of the important Royal Society, helped Robert Anderson a lot. Collins lent him books and gave him scientific information. This support was very helpful for Anderson's studies.
Robert Anderson: Cannon Expert
Robert Anderson spent a lot of time trying to make cannons work better. From 1671, for at least 21 years, he did thousands of experiments. He set up cannons on Wimbledon Common, paying for everything himself. This shows he was quite wealthy!
He was very proud of his work. He once said that as a private person, he had achieved more than all the official engineers and gunners combined, even with their salaries and allowances. He believed he had made big improvements to these powerful weapons.
His Important Writings
Robert Anderson wrote several books about his discoveries and ideas. These books shared his knowledge with others, especially those interested in math and military science.
- Stereometrical Propositions variously applicable, but particularly intended for Gageing (1668): This book was about measuring volumes and shapes. It was meant to help with "gageing," which is like measuring the capacity of barrels or containers.
- The Genuine Use and Effects of the Gunne (1674): This book explained how cannons truly worked, based on both experiments and mathematical rules. It was a very useful guide for army generals, engineers, and other experts. It even included tables to help predict where cannonballs would land.
- To hit a Mark, as well upon Ascents and Descents, as upon the Plain of the Horizon (1690): This book taught how to aim cannons accurately, whether shooting uphill, downhill, or on flat ground. It also included a short section about grenades and fireballs.
- To cut the Rigging, and Proposals for the Improvement of Great Artillery (1691): In this work, Anderson suggested ways to improve large cannons. He also wrote about how to aim cannons to damage the ropes (rigging) on enemy ships.
- The Making of Rockets (1696): This book was split into two parts. The first part explained how to make rockets in a simple way for anyone to understand. The second part showed how to make much larger rockets, even up to 1,000 pounds or more! In this book, Anderson had a clever idea: he suggested making rockets out of metal, like a piece of a gun barrel. He thought metal would be much stronger than the paper or wood used at the time.
Anderson hoped that his ideas for improving artillery would be tested by the Master-General of the Ordnance, Henry, Earl of Romney.
