mathematics

Ralph Greatorex

Ralph Greatorex is a mathematics topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Ralph Greatorex rather than just read about it. In short: Ralph Greatorex (c. 1625–1675) was an English mathematician, mathematical instrument maker, and an apprentice of London clockmaker Elias Allen. Greatorex is mentioned in John Aubrey's Brief Lives as a great friend of William Oughtred the mathematician.

Key takeaways

Ralph Greatorex belongs to mathematics; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Ralph Greatorex to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Ralph Greatorex from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Ralph Greatorex (c. 1625–1675) was an English mathematician, mathematical instrument maker, and an apprentice of London clockmaker Elias Allen. Greatorex is mentioned in John Aubrey's Brief Lives as a great friend of William Oughtred the mathematician. He is also briefly referred to in Aubrey's 'Natural History of Wilts', and in the 'Macclesfield Correspondence'. John Evelyn met Greatorex on 8 May 1656, and saw his 'excellent invention to quench fire.' His name appears in 'Pepys's Diary.' On 10 October 1660, when several engines were shown at work in St. James's Park, 'above all the rest,' says Samuel Pepys, 'I liked that which Mr. Greatorex brought, which do carry up the water with a great deal of ease.' On 24 October Pepys bought of Greatorex a drawing-pen, 'and he did show me the manner of the lamp-glasses which carry the light a great way, good to read in bed by, and I intend to have one of them. And we looked at his wooden jack in his chimney, that goes with the smoake, which indeed is very pretty.' On 9 June and 20 September 1662 and 23 March 1663 ('this day Greatorex brought me a very pretty weather-glasse for heat and cold') Pepys met the inventor; the last entry, 23 May 1663, refers to his varnish, 'which appears every whit as good upon a stick which he hath done, as the Indian.' As well as Pepys, Allen, Oughtred and Evelyn, others that Greatorex worked or corresponded with included Samuel Hartlib, Christopher Wren, Robert Boyle, Edward Phillips and Jonas Moore. He also attended meetings of the Royal Society, and did horticultural experiments at Arundel House.

References

Notes Stephen, Leslie; Lee, Sidney, eds. (1890). "Greatorex, Ralph" . Dictionary of National Biography. Vol. 23. London: Smith, Elder & Co.

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Ralph Greatorex

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Ralph Greatorex claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In mathematics, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Ralph Greatorex before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Ralph Greatorex ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Ralph Greatorex

In research: Ralph Greatorex appears in mathematics research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Ralph Greatorex in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Ralph Greatorex is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 1620s births, 1675 deaths, 17th-century English mathematicians, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Ralph Greatorex outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Ralph Greatorex in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Ralph Greatorex means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Ralph Greatorex out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Ralph Greatorex in simple terms?

Why does Ralph Greatorex matter?

Because it connects several mathematics ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Ralph Greatorex?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Ralph Greatorex.