Bowditch, Nathaniel

Bowditch, Nathaniel
born March 26, 1773, Salem, Mass., U.S.
died March 16, 1838, Boston, Mass.

U.S. mathematician and astronomer.

He was largely self-educated. After investigating the accuracy of J.H. Moore's The Practical Navigator, he produced a revised edition in 1799. In 1802 he published The New American Practical Navigator; adopted by the U.S. Department of the Navy, it was recognized as the best navigation text of its time. He translated and updated four volumes of Pierre-Simon Laplace's Celestial Mechanics (1829–39). He discovered the Bowditch curves (describing the motion of a pendulum), which have important applications in astronomy and physics. He refused professorships at several universities and instead worked for insurance companies.

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▪ American navigator
born March 26, 1773, Salem, Massachusetts, U.S.
died March 16, 1838, Boston, Massachusetts

      self-educated American mathematician and astronomer, author of the best American book on navigation of his time and translator from the French of Pierre-Simon Laplace (Laplace, Pierre-Simon, marquis de)'s Celestial Mechanics.

      Bowditch's formal education ended when he was 10 years old and family circumstances forced him to work, first for two years in his father's cooperage shop and then as a clerk for various local shops. Between 1795 and 1799 Bowditch made four lengthy sea voyages, and in 1802 he was put in command of a merchant vessel. Throughout that period he pursued his interest in mathematics. After investigating the accuracy of The Practical Navigator, a work by the Englishman J.H. Moore, he produced a revised edition in 1799. His additions became so numerous that in 1802 he published The New American Practical Navigator, based on Moore's book, which was adopted by the U.S. Department of the Navy and went through some 60 editions.

      Bowditch also wrote many scientific papers, one of which, on the motion of a pendulum swinging simultaneously about two axes at right angles (to illustrate the apparent motion of the Earth as viewed from the Moon), described the so-called Bowditch curves (better known as the Lissajous figures (Lissajous figure), after the man who later studied them in detail).

      Bowditch provided a masterful translation of the first four volumes of Laplace (Laplace, Pierre-Simon, marquis de)'s monumental work on the gravitation of heavenly bodies, Traité de mécanique céleste (1799–1827). To help with the difficulty of the mathematics, Bowditch provided an extensive commentary that more than doubled the size of the original. The resulting work, Celestial Mechanics, was published in four volumes in 1829–39 to widespread international acclaim. Bowditch wrote several notes on the fifth and final volume but died before he was able to complete the translation.

      Bowditch refused professorships at several universities. He was president (1804–23) of the Essex Fire and Marine Insurance Company of Salem and worked as an actuary (1823–38) for the Massachusetts Hospital Life Insurance Company of Boston. In recognition of his achievements he was admitted as an honorary member to several foreign academies, including the Royal Society. From 1829 until his death he was president of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

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Universalium. 2010.

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  • Bowditch, Nathaniel — (26 mar. 1773, Salem, Mass., EE.UU.–16 mar. 1838, Boston, Mass.). Matemático y astrónomo estadounidense. Fue básicamente un autodidacta. Después de haber investigado la validez de la obra The Practical Navigator [El navegante práctico], publicó… …   Enciclopedia Universal

  • Bowditch,Nathaniel — Bow·ditch (bouʹdĭch), Nathaniel. 1773 1838. American mathematician and astronomer noted for his works concerning navigation. * * * …   Universalium

  • BOWDITCH, NATHANIEL —    American mathematician, born at Salem, Massachusetts; a practical scientist; published Practical Navigation, translated the Mécanique Céleste of Laplace, accompanied with an elaborate commentary (1773 1838) …   The Nuttall Encyclopaedia

  • Nathaniel Bowditch — Bowditch is often credited as the founder of modern maritime navigation. Born March 26, 1773(1773 03 26) …   Wikipedia

  • Bowditch Middle School — Infobox School name = Bowditch Middle School streetaddress = 1450 Tarpon Street city = Foster City state = California district = San Mateo Foster City Elementary District zipcode = 94404 country = USA grades = 6 8 principal = David T. Holcombe… …   Wikipedia

  • Nathaniel — /neuh than yeuhl/, n. 1. Bartholomew (def. 1). 2. a male given name: from a Hebrew word meaning gift of God. * * * (as used in expressions) Bacon Nathaniel Behrman Samuel Nathaniel Bowditch Nathaniel James Nathaniel Brown Nathaniel Adams Coles… …   Universalium

  • Nathaniel — (as used in expressions) Bacon, Nathaniel Behrman, S(amuel) N(athaniel) Bowditch, Nathaniel James Nathaniel Brown Nathaniel Adams Coles Curzon (de Kedleston), George Nathaniel Curzon, marqués Hawthorne, Nathaniel Macon, Nathaniel …   Enciclopedia Universal

  • Nathaniel Bowditch House — Nathaniel Bowditch home U.S. National Register of Historic Places U.S. National Historic Landmark …   Wikipedia

  • Nathaniel Bowditch — (* 26. März 1773 in Salem, Massachusetts; † 16. März 1838 in …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Bowditch (Cratère) — Pour les articles homonymes, voir Bowditch. Bowditch …   Wikipédia en Français

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