Rafael Bombelli
(1526-1572)
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Rafael Bombelli introduced complex numbers as an extension of the class of real numbers. He continued the work of Cardano and Ferrari on third degree algebraic equations, a topic on which extensive disputes had taken place in Bologna. His volumes of "Algebra" had great success, a copy of which still exists in the library of the University of Bologna.
(Source: "Il Dipartimento di Matematica dell'Università di Bologna: Personale, strutture, attività di ricerca - Anno accademico 1988-89" a cura di M. Bernabei e P. Negrini, editrice CLUEB)