Sylvester II (aka Gerbert of Aurillac)

By Scotty Brennan

Mini-lesson on the life of Sylvester IIHe was born in the Auvergne

region of southern France in 945

His real name was Gerbert of Aurillac, but once he was elected pope, he changed his name to Sylvester II

His parents and actual place of birth is unknown, because it was never recorded.

He Died in 1003 at the Vatican

The Pope?Sylvester II was elected

pope in 999 He became the first

French Pope.He was Pope from 999-

1003.Yet in his youth he studied

at Muslim schools in Spain.

MathematicsHe showed extraordinary intelligence throughout

his life and became the most accomplished mathematician and philosopher of his time.

Gerbert was under care of a bishop named Vic, and was educated at Vic’s cathedral by Arabian scholars.

Here he studied quadriviumWhich is the study of arithmetic, geometry,

astronomy, and music.He also learned a positional numeric system,

which is much like our modern numeric system.

xx+

3

2+2=4

Accomplishments in MathGerbert learned how to use proportions to

approach music in a precise manner. Later on he invented a more advanced organ. This organ used water power to obtain constant

pressure. Before, organs got their pressure from a pump

controlled by the organist’s footHis organ not only gave an extended steady level of

sound, but its pipes were matched mathematically so that its harmonics were superior to any other musical instrument heard in his region before.

Arabic NumeralsGerbert used

Arabic numerals instead of Roman numeralsThis allowed him

to make calculations in his head, where as people using Roman numerals would look at those calculations as very difficult.

The abacusGerbert studied the Chinese abacus,

and even constructed his own giant one. He built this on the cathedral floor in

which he was studying.He used sixty-four members of the

school to move the disks of his abacus.He was able to deal with much larger

numbers than before.Gerbert could accomplish this

because his abacus had 27 columns instead of 12

He wrote a book on the abacus, and it soon became a text book for the students at the Cathedral.

Bibliography http://www.worldbookonline.com/student/arti

cle?id=ar542842http://www.incois.gov.in/Tutor/science+societ

y/lectures/illustrations/lecture17/gerbert.htmlhttp://web.ebscohost.com/src/detail?vid=6&h

id=3&sid=231cec80-55c8-4d25-b96f-b4ad2b6e27ac%40sessionmgr8&bdata=JnNpdGU9c3JjLWxpdmU%3d#db=mih&AN=19337923

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Organ_Frauenkirche_M%C3%BCnchen.jpg

Bibliography (cont.)http://www.skypoint.com/members/waltzmn/

Mathematics.htmlhttp://gregplaysbass.com/http://www.vlib.us/medieval/lectures/gerbert.

html