Johannes Hudde

Johannes Hudde (23 April 1628 – 15 April 1704) was a mathematician and burgomaster (mayor) of Amsterdam from 1672 to 1703. He also served as governor of the Dutch East India Company. He started studying law at the University of Leiden but later chose mathematics, inspired by Frans van Schooten.

Hudde made important contributions to mathematics. In his work De reductione aequationum, published after his death, he was the first to treat algebraic coefficients as either positive or negative. He worked with Johan de Witt and Hendrik van Heuraet on the Latin translation of Descartes's La Géométrie. Hudde described a method for simplifying calculations and created what are now called Hudde's rules, related to early calculus methods.

As mayor of Amsterdam, Hudde focused on improving the city's water management and cleanliness. He ordered that city canals be flushed at high tide and that dirty water be diverted outside the town. He introduced "Hudde's stones," markers showing the summer high water level, which later helped create the NAP, a system used across Europe today to measure water levels.

Mathematical work

Johannes Hudde studied law at the University of Leiden but later turned to mathematics. He was inspired by his teacher Frans van Schooten. Hudde worked closely with Schooten from 1654 to 1663.

During this time, Hudde helped translate a famous book, La Géométrie, by René Descartes from French into Latin. In this work, Hudde shared his own ideas. These included rules for solving equations and ways to find the highest and lowest values.

Hudde also wrote letters and shared ideas with many famous mathematicians. These included Baruch Spinoza, Christiaan Huygens, Johann Bernoulli, Isaac Newton, and Leibniz. His work helped shape later developments in mathematics, especially in infinitesimal calculus.