Federico Commandino

Who was Federico Commandino?

Federico Commandino was an Italian humanist and mathematician.

Born in Urbino, he studied at Padua and at Ferrara, where he received his doctorate in medicine. He translated the works of ancient mathematicians and was responsible for the publication of the works of Archimedes. He also translated the works of Aristarchus of Samos, Pappus of Alexandria, Hero of Alexandria, and Euclid. Among his pupils was Guidobaldo del Monte. Commandino maintained a correspondence with the astronomer Francesco Maurolico. The proposition known as Commandino's theorem first appears in his work on centers of gravity.