Nunes, Pedro (1502-1578)

Portugese mathematician considered one of the greatest mathematicians of his time. He is best known for his contributions to the field of navigation, much of which were mathematical in nature. Nunes was the first to explain that a ship maintaining a steady course would follow a spiral curve, called a loxodrome, rather than a great circle. He argued that nautical charts should have its parallels and meridians shown as straight lines, though the issue was not completely resolved until the Mercator projection.

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	Date: 8/9/1978 Location: Lisboa, Portugal