Robert Recorde's Arithmetic: or, The Ground of Arts was one of the first printed English textbooks on arithmetic and the most popular of its time. The Ground of Arts appeared in London in 1543,[1] and it was reprinted around 45 more editions until 1700.[1] Editors and contributors of new sections included John Dee, John Mellis, Robert Hartwell, Thomas Willsford, and finally Edward Hatton.

The Ground of Arts

The text is in the format of a dialogue between master and student to facilitate learning arithmetic without a teacher.

References edit

  1. ^ a b Johnston, Stephen (2004). "Recorde, Robert (c.1512–1558)". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/23241. Retrieved 26 January 2012. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)

Further reading edit

  • John Denniss & Fenny Smith, "Robert Recorde and his remarkable Arithmetic", pages 25 to 38 in Gareth Roberts & Fenny Smith (editors) (2012) Robert Recorde: The Life and Times of a Tudor Mathematician, Cardiff: University of Wales Press ISBN 978-0-7083-2526-1