Simon Stevin through the lens of his dedications (Q6604595)

The Renaissance was an important transitional period for mathematics, in which the subject regained considerable status after the Middle Ages. In connection with this, the subject had to be redefined, and it also had to become clear what was meant by a good practitioner of mathematics. The author studies the case of Simon Stevin, and he primarily looks at the dedications in Stevin's books. He does this in considerable detail. His conclusion is that in the end, Stevin presented himself not as a court mathematician or as an academic in the traditional sense, but as an active citizen concerned with the welfare of the state. Stevin wrote for the increasingly rich and self-confident citizens of the emerging Dutch Republic. These citizens saw themselves as the true leaders of the state in the midst of the war of liberation against Spain. Stevin's mathematical work is quite in accordance with this idea. It was more than rhetoric. He honestly intended to create a new science for a new society. Unfortunately, the new society turned out to be quite traditional and Stevin's scientific ideals lost their appeal.