Eadem mutata resurgo
Eadem mutata resurgo is a Latin phrase that literally translates to "Although changed, I arise the same".
Background
[edit]The word-for-word translation of the phrase is
- "Same having-changed I-rise".
- Eadem mutata resurgo.
The sense is better rendered in English as "I rise again changed but the same".
Jakob Bernoulli's tombstone
[edit]
The phrase was first known to be used by Jakob Bernoulli (1654-1705), a member of the famous Swiss mathematical family. He had studied logarithmic spirals during his life and directed for a spiral and the motto to appear on his tombstone in Basel. Bernoulli was referring to the fact that the logarithmic spirals are self-similar, meaning that upon applying any similarity transformation to the spiral, the resulting spiral is congruent to the original untransformed one.[1]
The logarithmic spiral frequently appears in biology, such as with the curves of the Nautilus shell.[1]
College motto
[edit]The College of St Hild and St Bede at the University of Durham adopted this phrase for its motto; it hangs in the Vernon Arms (the Vern). [2]
It is also used as the motto of the Collège de 'pataphysique.[3]
References
[edit]- ^ a b Maor, E. (2009). E: The story of a number. Princeton University Press. p. 127. ISBN 0-691-14134-7.
- ^ The College of St. Hild and St. Bede (PDF) (college description). 2008–2009 University Calendar. Vol. I. Durham, UK: Durham University. 21 October 2008.
- ^ "Collège de 'pataphysique collection". mtholyoke.edu. Archived from the original on 2014-01-21. Retrieved 2013-07-31.
