A Treatise of practical geometry. In three parts
Author: David Gregory (originally spelt Gregorie) (1659-1708)
Year: 1745
Publisher: Printed by W. and T. Ruddimans, for Messrs. Hamilton and Balfour
Place: Edinburgh
Description:
153 pages with 5 folding engraved plates. Small octavo (7 1/2" x 4 3/4") bound in quarter contemporary calf-backed marbled boards, rebacked in modern calf in compartments with black morocco label. (ESTC T18589) First edition in English.
A Treatise of Practical Geometry in Three Parts is a classic 18th-century mathematical textbook authored by the Scottish mathematician and astronomer Dr. David Gregory. Originally written in Latin, the work was later translated into English with notable additions edited by the celebrated mathematician Colin MacLaurin. The book serves as a historical, foundational manual on measurement, engineering, and land surveying. As specified in its title, the treatise organizes practical geometry into three core sections:
Part 1: Mensuration of Lines and Angles, Focuses on the basic measurement of distances, heights, depths, and angles. Includes mathematical guidance on utilizing early surveying instruments like the geometrical square and quadrant. Introduces the foundational rules for land surveying and plotting field data into field books.
Part 2: Mensuration of Surfaces, Transitions from simple lines to two-dimensional spaces. Teaches how to compute the areas of both plain and curved surfaces. Provides specific rules for calculating the surface areas of complex shapes, cylinders, cones, and spheres. Demonstrates how to express these areas using common superficial units of measurement.
Part 3: Mensuration of Solid Figures, Dedicated entirely to three-dimensional geometry and finding solid volume content. Deduces explicit rules to compute the volume and capacity of various 3D shapes. Covers practical figures like the parallelopiped (rectangular prism), standard prisms, pyramids, cylinders, cones, and spheres.
Includes real-world engineering applications such as vessel content calculations (gauging).
Condition:
Rebacked in modern calf in compartments with black morocco label, corners worn, boards scuffed, some spotting or light staining, lightly toned, old ink signature to back end paper else about very good.
