Origins & Early Life

William Oughtred ( AWT-urd;5 March 1574 – 30 June 1660), also Owtred or Uhtred, was an English mathematician and Anglican clergyman. After John Napier discovered logarithms and Edmund Gunter created the logarithmic scales (lines, or rules) upon which slide rules are based, Oughtred was the first known to use two such scales in separate rods sliding by one another to perform direct multiplication and division. He is credited with inventing the slide rule in about 1622, a priority disputed with Richard Delamain, by which Oughtred's innovation is brought forward to c 1632. He also introduced the " × {\displaystyle \times } " symbol for multiplication and the abbreviations " sin {\displaystyle \sin } " and " cos {\displaystyle \cos } " for the sine and cosine functions.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

The son of Benjamin Oughtred of Eton in Buckinghamshire (now part of Berkshire), William was born there on 5 March 1574/75 and was educated at Eton College, where his father, a writing-master, was one of his teachers. Oughtred had a passion for mathematics, and...

Enduring Legacy & Impact

The historical impact and works continue to influence the modern world.

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

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