John Napier of Merchiston (1550 – 1617) was a Scottish mathematician, physicist and astronomer. He is best known for his invention of logarithms, a mathematical device that dramatically simplified complex multiplication and division, making astronomical calculations far more manageable.
In addition to logarithms, he invented a set of calculating rods known as Napier’s Bones. These tools, which allowed for the mechanical multiplication of numbers, were crucial in democratising complex calculation and were instrumental in paving the way for later mechanical computing devices.