Columbia Encyclopedia

Search results

500 results found

Napier, John

(Encyclopedia)Napier, John nāˈpēr, nəpērˈ [key], 1550–1617, Scottish mathematician and theologian. He invented logarithms and wrote Mirifici logarithmorum canonis descriptio (1614), containing the first log...

Napier

(Encyclopedia)Napier nāˈpēər [key], city (1993 est. pop. 51,800), E central North Island, New Zealand, on Hawke Bay, close to Hastings. It is a major center for wool, as well as meat, fruit, and dairy exports; ...

Turner, John Napier Wyndham

(Encyclopedia)Turner, John Napier Wyndham, 1929–2020, Canadian prime minister (1984). Born in England, he immigrated (1932) to Ontario with his Canadian-born mother after she was widowed. Trained as a lawyer, he ...

Chelmsford, Frederic John Napier Thesiger, 3d Baron and 1st Viscount

(Encyclopedia)Chelmsford, Frederic John Napier Thesiger, 3d Baron and 1st Viscount nāˈpēər, thĕsˈĭjər, chĕlmsˈfərd [key], 1868–1933, British colonial administrator. After serving as governor of Queensl...

Napier, Sir Charles James

(Encyclopedia)Napier, Sir Charles James nāˈpēr, nəpērˈ [key], 1782–1853, British general; brother of Sir William Napier. He served with distinction in the Napoleonic Wars. Stationed (1822–30) on the Greek...

MacNab, Sir Allan Napier

(Encyclopedia)MacNab, Sir Allan Napier, 1798–1862, Canadian political leader, b. Ontario. He fought in the War of 1812 and later became a lawyer. A staunch supporter of English policies, he commanded “the men o...

Napier, Robert Cornelis, 1st Baron Napier of Magdala

(Encyclopedia)Napier, Robert Cornelis, 1st Baron Napier of Magdala nāˈpēr, nəpērˈ [key], 1810–90, British general. In the engineering service in India, he fought in the Sikh Wars (1845–49) and took part i...

Bürgi, Joost

(Encyclopedia)Bürgi, Joost or Jost, 1552–1632, Swiss mathematician and instrument maker. As the official clockmaker (1579–92) to Duke Wilhelm IV of Hesse-Kassell, he developed the first clock with a minute han...

Napier, Sir William Francis Patrick

(Encyclopedia)Napier, Sir William Francis Patrick nāˈpēr, nəpērˈ [key], 1785–1860, British general and historian; brother of Sir Charles James Napier. He served in the Peninsular War and wrote a famous and ...

logarithm

(Encyclopedia)logarithm lŏgˈərĭᵺəm [key] [Gr.,=relation number], number associated with a positive number, being the power to which a third number, called the base, must be raised in order to obtain the give...