Mathematicians Of The Day

11th March



On this day in 1574, using his various instruments, Egnation Danti detected the 11 day error in the calendar when he calculated the vernal equinox to have fallen on 11 March rather than on 22 March as it should for the calendar to be in step with the seasons. From that time on Danti became a leading figure in pressing for calendar reform.

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Quotation of the day

From Joseph Bertrand
The first successes were such that one might suppose all the difficulties of science overcome in advance, and believe that the mathematician, without being longer occupied in the elaboration of pure mathematics, could turn his thoughts exclusively to the study of natural laws.