Abraham Sharp on:
[Wikipedia]
[Google]
[Amazon]
Abraham Sharp (1653 – 18 July 1742) was an English mathematician and astronomer.
In 1669 he became a merchant's apprentice before becoming a schoolmaster in
Brief biography of Sharp
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sharp, Abraham 1653 births 1742 deaths Scientists from Bradford 17th-century English mathematicians 18th-century English mathematicians People educated at Bradford Grammar School
Life
Sharp was born in Horton Hall in Little Horton, Bradford, the son of well-to-do merchant John Sharp and Mary (née Clarkson) Sharp and was educated at Bradford Grammar School.
In 1669 he became a merchant's apprentice before becoming a schoolmaster in Liverpool
Liverpool is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the List of English districts by population, 10th largest English district by population and its E ...
and subsequently a bookkeeper in London
London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...
. His wide knowledge of mathematics and astronomy
Astronomy () is a natural science that studies astronomical object, celestial objects and phenomena. It uses mathematics, physics, and chemistry in order to explain their origin and chronology of the Universe, evolution. Objects of interest ...
attracted Flamsteed's attention and it was through Flamsteed that Sharp was invited, in 1688, to enter the Greenwich Royal Observatory. There he did notable work, improving instruments and showing great skill as a calculator, publishing ''Geometry Improved'' and logarithmic tables.
Sharp calculated pi to 72 decimal places using an arctan
In mathematics, the inverse trigonometric functions (occasionally also called arcus functions, antitrigonometric functions or cyclometric functions) are the inverse functions of the trigonometric functions (with suitably restricted domains). S ...
sequence, briefly holding the record until John Machin calculated 100 digits in 1706.
He returned to Little Horton in 1694. When the Atlas Coelestis – the largest star map at the time was published – it contained 26 maps of the major constellations visible from Greenwich
Greenwich ( , ,) is a town in south-east London, England, within the ceremonial county of Greater London. It is situated east-southeast of Charing Cross.
Greenwich is notable for its maritime history and for giving its name to the Greenwic ...
, and two planispheres designed by Sharp.
Sharp died in Little Horton in 1742. He had never married. He was a great-uncle of Jesse Ramsden, the scientific instrument maker.
An English translation of a memorial tablet in Latin in Bradford Cathedral carved by Peter ScheemakersDictionary of British Sculptors 1660-1851 by Rupert Gunnis translates as " ''He was rightly counted among the most accomplished mathematicians of his day. He enjoyed constant friendship with the very famous men of the same repute, notably Flamsteed and the illustrious Newton. He drew up the description of the heavens made by the former of these (Flamsteed) in (astronomical) tables of the greatest accuracy; he also published anonymously various writings and descriptions of instruments perfected by himself...'' .
The crater Sharp on the Moon
The Moon is Earth's only natural satellite. It is the fifth largest satellite in the Solar System and the largest and most massive relative to its parent planet, with a diameter about one-quarter that of Earth (comparable to the width ...
is named after him.
References
Further reading
* *External links
Brief biography of Sharp
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sharp, Abraham 1653 births 1742 deaths Scientists from Bradford 17th-century English mathematicians 18th-century English mathematicians People educated at Bradford Grammar School