that a point generated a line by motion. Such speculations proved influential. They laid the groundwork for later mathematicians.
Another philosopher, Nicole Oresme, Bishop of Lisieux in Normandy, worked with fractional powers. His tract, De latitudinibus formarum, was printed several times between 1482 and 1515. The work marks a transition from the terrestrial or celestial sphere coordinates used by the Ancients to modern coordinate geometry (Struik, 1987, p. 82).
In the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, popular interest was generally arosed throughout Europe. This was partially due to the invention of printing. As books which taught practical arithmetic and its commercial applications began to be published, knowledge of the art became widely available (Struik, 1987, p. 84). University professors joined with cultured laymen in mathematical analyses (Struik, 1987, p. 82). Some authors have called the period, Rechenhaftigkeit; perhaps after the "reckon masters" who characterized it.
One leading mathematical figure typical of the period was Johannes Muller (Struik, 1987, p. 82 83). Muller was an instrument maker, printer, and scientist. He was active in translating and publishing the classical mathematical manuscripts of the time. His work included translations of Ptolemy, Apollonium, Heron, and Archimedes. His main original work was De triangulis omnimodis libri quinque, which was printed in 1533. The tract provided a complete introduction to trigonometry. From that point on, trigonometry became a science independent of astronomy.
As time passed, algebra and computational arithmetic remained a favorite subject of mathematical experimentation. With the formation of new national states, however, the impetus for this interest began to change (Struik, 1987, p. 86). Gradually math was needed, not only by the mercantile bourgeoisie for their commercial applications, but also by surveyors and engineers. ...