Girolamo Cardano

The child of Fazio Cardano and Chiara Micheria. His father's expertise in mathematics was such that he was consulted by Leonardo da Vinci on questions of geometry. Fazio taught his son mathematics. As an adult Cardan worked for 6 years on solving cubic and quartic equations by radical.

In 1540 Cardan resigned his mathematics post and did nothing but gamble and play chess all day. In 1545 Cardan published his greatest mathematical work 'Ars Magna'. In it he gave the methods of solution of the cubic and quartic equation.
1546- He became rector of the College of Physicians and gained the reputation of being the greatest physician in the world. Cardan received many offers from the heads of state in Europe, anxious to receive the best medical attention, but only once was the incentive great enough to tempt him from Italy.

John Hamilton, Archbishop of St Andrews, had suffered from asthma for ten years but gradually the frequency and severity of the attacks had grown worse. He turned in desperation to Cardan, promising him a huge sum if he would come to Scotland. Cardan accepted the offer, Cardan was at the height of his fame and, as a consequence, his journey to Scotland was remarkable in that everywhere he went scientific communities treated him as a celebrity and the world's leading scientist.

In 1570 Cardan was put in jail on the charge of heresy. He had cast the horoscope of Jesus Christ and written a book in praise of Nero, tormentor of the martyrs. These may have been a deliberate attempt on Cardan's part to gain notoriety. It is strange for in all other respects Cardan gave the church his full support. However the inquisition was looking to make examples of prominent men whose commitment could be questioned and Cardan fitted the bill nicely.

Cardan was treated leniently, perhaps because public opinion was that he had been sentenced harshly and so he was only imprisoned for a few months. On his release, he was forbidden to hold a university post and barred from further publication of his work. On his release Cardan went to Rome, where he received an unexpectedly warm reception. He was granted immediate membership of the College of Physicians and the Pope, who had now apparently forgiven Cardan, granted him a pension. Cardan is reported to have correctly predicted the exact date of his own death but it has been claimed that he achieved this by committing suicide.

In addition to Cardan's major contributions to algebra he also made important contributions to probability, hydrodynamics, mechanics and geology and a little of everything, from cosmology to the construction of machines, from the usefulness of natural sciences to the evil influence of demons, from the laws of mechanics to cryptology, on the state of sciences, of superstition, technology, alchemy and various branches of the occult.