Heuristic reasoning: Approximation procedures in Levi ben Gerson's astronomy (Q1380393)

There are presented the approximation methods developed by Levi ben Gerson (1288-1344) in his astronomical treatise. This work of ben Gerson is a part of his philosophical treatise `Wars of the Lord'. In this paper the approximation methods of Levi are formalized and there are discussed many examples illustrating his heuristic method. The paper contains a rich bibliography, many notes on medieval mathematics and astronomy and an appendix including Latin excerpts from the work of Levi.