View source for Gemma Frisius

{{Short description|Frisian physician, mathematician and cartographer (1508–1555)}}
{{for|the crater|Gemma Frisius (crater)}}
[[File:Reinerus Frisius Gemma, by Maarten van Heemskerck.jpg|thumb|''Gemma Frisius'', ([[Maarten van Heemskerck]], c. 1540–1545)]]

'''Gemma Frisius''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|f|r|ɪ|z|i|ə|s}}; born '''Jemme Reinerszoon''';<ref>He was cited as Jemme Reinersz in the 1533 edition of [[Peter Apian]]'s ''Cosmographia''.</ref> December 9, 1508 &ndash; May 25, 1555) was a Dutch physician, [[mathematician]], [[Cartography|cartographer]], philosopher, and instrument maker. He created important [[globe]]s, improved the mathematical instruments of his day and [[applied mathematics]] in new ways to [[surveying]] and [[navigation]]. [[Astronomical rings|Gemma's rings]], an astronomical instrument, are named after him. Along with [[Gerardus Mercator]] and [[Abraham Ortelius]], Frisius is often considered one of the founders of the [[Golden Age of Netherlandish cartography|Netherlandish school of cartography]], and significantly helped lay the foundations for [[Golden Age of Netherlandish cartography|the school's golden age]] (approximately 1570s–1670s).

==Biography==
Frisius was born in [[Dokkum]], [[Friesland]] (present-day [[Netherlands]]), of poor parents who died when he was young. He moved to [[Groningen (city)|Groningen]] and later studied at the [[Old University of Leuven|University of Leuven]] (Louvain), [[Belgium]], beginning in 1525. He received the degree of MD in 1536 and remained on the faculty of medicine of [[Leuven]] for the rest of his life where, in addition to teaching medicine, he also taught mathematics, astronomy and geography. His oldest son, [[Cornelius Gemma]], edited a posthumous volume of his work and continued to work with [[Heliocentric model|Ptolemaic astronomical models]].

[[File:Gemma_Frisius_terrestrial_globe_(4).jpg|thumb|left|Gemma Frisius's famous 1536 terrestrial globe]]
One of his most influential teachers at Leuven was [[Franciscus Monachus]] who, circa 1527, had constructed a famous globe  in collaboration with the Leuven goldsmith [[Gaspard van der Heyden|Gaspar van der Heyden]]<ref>There is no English biography of Van der Heyden (or Gaspar a Myrica c1496—c1549) but he has an entry in the Dutch [http://resources.huygens.knaw.nl/retroboeken/nbwv/#source=1&page=314&view=pdfPane&size=634&accessor=accessor_index Nationaal Biografisch Woordenboek].</ref> Under the guidance of Monachus and the technical assistance of Van der Heyden, Frisius set up a workshop to produce globes and mathematical instruments  which were praised for their quality and accuracy by contemporary astronomers such as [[Tycho Brahe]]. Of particular fame were the terrestrial globe of 1536 and the celestial globe of 1537. On the first of these Frisius is described as the author with technical assistance from Van der Heyden and engraving by [[Gerardus Mercator]] who was a pupil of Frisius at the time. On  the second globe Mercator is promoted to co-author.

[[File:Gemma_Frisius_-_Driehoeksmeting.jpg|thumb|Gemma Frisius's 1533 diagram introducing [[Triangulation (surveying)|triangulation]] into the science of surveying]]
In 1533, he described for the first time the method of [[triangulation (surveying)|triangulation]] still used today in surveying (see diagram). Having established a [[baseline (surveying)|baseline]], e.g., in this case, the cities of [[Brussels]] and [[Antwerp]], the location of other cities, e.g. [[Middelburg, Zeeland|Middelburg]], [[Ghent]] etc., can be found by taking a compass direction from each end of the baseline, and plotting where the two directions cross. This was only a theoretical presentation of the concept &mdash; due to topographical restrictions, it is impossible to see Middelburg from either Brussels or Antwerp. Nevertheless, the figure soon became well known all across Europe.

Twenty years later, in about 1553, he was the first to describe how an [[Marine chronometer|accurate clock]] could be used to determine [[longitude]].<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Pogo|first=A.|date=1935-02-01|title=Gemma Frisius, His Method of Determining Differences of Longitude by Transporting Timepieces (1530), and His Treatise on Triangulation (1533) |journal=Isis |volume=22 |issue=2 |pages=469–506 |doi=10.1086/346920 }}</ref> [[Jean-Baptiste Morin (mathematician)|Jean-Baptiste Morin]] (1583&ndash;1656) did not believe that Frisius' method for calculating longitude would work, remarking, "I do not know if the Devil will succeed in making a [[Marine chronometer|longitude timekeeper]] but it is folly for man to try."<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www-groups.dcs.st-and.ac.uk/~history/PrintHT/Longitude1.html |title=Longitude1 |publisher=Groups.dcs.st-and.ac.uk |access-date=2013-03-19 |archive-date=2016-11-05 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161105050659/http://www-groups.dcs.st-and.ac.uk/~history/PrintHT/Longitude1.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> It took two centuries before [[John Harrison]] produced a sufficiently accurate clock.

[[File:Ringsundial_open.jpg|thumb|left|Kala Pocket Sundial]]
Frisius created or improved many instruments, including the [[cross-staff]], the [[astrolabe]], and the [[astronomical rings]] (also known as "Gemma's rings"). His students included [[Gerardus Mercator]] (who became his collaborator), [[Johannes Stadius]], [[John Dee (mathematician)|John Dee]], [[Andreas Vesalius]] and [[Rembert Dodoens]].

Frisius died in [[Leuven]] at the age of 46. According to an account by his son, [[Cornelius Gemma|Cornelius]], Gemma died from kidney stones, which he had suffered from for a minimum of 7 years.<ref>[http://www.ncg.knaw.nl/Publicaties/Groen/pdf/14Haasbroek.pdf Gemma Frisius, Tycho Brahe & Snellius & Their Triangulations, N.D. Haasbroek, Rijkscommissie Voor Geodesie, Delft, Netherlands, 1968, p. 10] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110722200119/http://www.ncg.knaw.nl/Publicaties/Groen/pdf/14Haasbroek.pdf |date=2011-07-22 }}</ref>

A [[Gemma Frisius (crater)|lunar crater]] has been named after him. [[Gualterus Arsenius]], the 16th-century scientific instrument maker, was his nephew.

==Honours==
[[Frisius Point]] in the [[South Shetland Islands]] in [[Antarctica]] is named after Gemma Frisius.

==Works==
*''Cosmographia (1529) von [[Petrus Apianus]]'', annotated by Gemma Frisius
*''De principiis astronomiae et cosmographiae'' (1530)
*''De usu globi'' (1530)
*''Libellus de locorum describendorum ratione'' (1533)
*''Arithmeticae practicae methodus facilis'' ([[Antwerp]],<ref>{{cite journal|first1=David Eugene|last1=Smith|author-link1=David Eugene Smith|title=Medicine and Mathematics in the Sixteenth Century|pmc=7927718|pmid= 33943138|journal=Ann Med Hist.|date=July 1, 1917|volume= 1|issue=2|pages=125–140|oclc=12650954}} (here cited p. 130).</ref> 1540), and Paris, 1543 available on [https://lib.is/alma993809980101488 KU Leuven Special Collections] (high quality)
*''De annuli astronomici usu''<ref>{{cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_js05AAAAcAAJ |quote=annuli astronomici. |title=Usus annuli astronomici - Rainer Gemma Frisius |via=[[Internet Archive]] |year=1548 |access-date=2013-03-19}}</ref>  (1540)
* [https://archive.org/details/gemmaefrisiimedi00gemm/page/n8/ ''De radio astronomico et geometrico''] (1545)
* {{Cite book|title=De principiis astronomiae et cosmographiae|volume=|publisher=|location=Paris|year=1547|language=la|url=https://gutenberg.beic.it/webclient/DeliveryManager?pid=135137}}
* [https://archive.org/details/hin-wel-all-00000962-001/page/n8/ ''De astrolabio catholico''] (1556) also available on [https://lib.is/alma99314520101488 KU Leuven Special Collections] (high quality)

<gallery>
File:Cosmographia Petri Apiani 1564 (120113780) (cropped).jpg|Page from ''Cosmographia''
File:Fotothek df tg 0004496 Arithmetik ^ Mathematik.jpg|Frontispiece of ''Arithmeticae practicae methodus facilis''
File:Frisius-Apian Carta Cosmographica 1544 UTA.jpg|''Carta Cosmographica'', 1544
</gallery>

== See also ==
* [[Triangulation (surveying)#Gemma Frisius|Triangulation by Gemma Frisius]]

== Notes ==
{{reflist}}

== Further reading ==
* N. Haasbroek: ''[https://web.archive.org/web/20110722200119/http://www.ncg.knaw.nl/Publicaties/Groen/pdf/14Haasbroek.pdf Gemma Frisius, Tycho Brahe and Snellius and their triangulations]''. Delft 1968.
* Robert Haardt: ''The globe of Gemma Frisius.'' Imago mundi, Bd. 9, 1952.
* W. Karrow: ''Mapmakers of the Sixteenth Century and Their Maps.'' Chicago 1993.
* G. Kish: ''Medicina, mensura, mathematica: The Life and Works of Gemma Frisius.'' Minneapolis 1967, sowie sein Artikel in Dictionary of Scientific Biography
* A. Pogo: ''Gemma Frisius, his method of determining longitude.'' In: ''Isis.'' Bd. 22, 1935, S. 469–485.
* {{Cite ADB|8|555|556|Gemma-Frisius, Rainer|[[Moritz Cantor]]|ADB:Gemma-Frisius, Rainer}}

==External links==
{{commons category}}
* {{MacTutor|id=Gemma_Frisius|title=Regnier Gemma Frisius}}
* {{MathGenealogy|id=119097|title=Gemma (Jemme Reinerszoon) Frisius}}
* [https://webarchive.nla.gov.au/awa/20040302130000/http://pandora.nla.gov.au/pan/13071/20040303-0000/www.acmi.net.au/AIC/CAM_OBS_LOUVAIN_1544.GIF Description of the Camera Obscura]{{cbignore|bot=medic}} in 1544 by Frisius
* [http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.rbc/batchelder.87611.1 Arithmeticae practicae methodus facilis] From the [https://www.loc.gov/rr/rarebook/coll/024.html John Davis Batchelder Collection] in the Rare Book and Special Collection Division at the [[Library of Congress]]

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Frisius, Gemma}}
[[Category:1508 births]]
[[Category:1555 deaths]]
[[Category:People from the Habsburg Netherlands]]
[[Category:16th-century Flemish cartographers]]
[[Category:16th-century Dutch cartographers]]
[[Category:16th-century Dutch mathematicians]]
[[Category:16th-century Dutch philosophers]]
[[Category:Dutch cartographers]]
[[Category:People from Dokkum]]
[[Category:Dutch scientific instrument makers]]
[[Category:Old University of Leuven alumni]]
[[Category:Academic staff of the Old University of Leuven]]
[[Category:Early modern Netherlandish cartography]]
[[Category:Globe makers]]