Johannes Kepler is known for his many mathematical discoveries, and he was quite keen on calculating areas and volumes. This interest stemmed from an incident that occurred when he married for the second time in Austria. He had purchased a barrel of wine for his wedding, and was angered by the wine merchant's method for measuring the volume. Inspired by this exchange, Kepler began his study of how to calculate areas and volumes and as a result he composed the book "New Solid Geometry of Wine Barrels." This very interesting and engaging article from Roberto Cardil of Matematicas Visuales offers students and others a way to learn about Kepler's work in this area via some compelling visuals and well-written text. The site includes seven sections, such as The Wine Barrel Incident, A Problem of Maxima: Wine Barrel Design, and a collection of additional links and references.
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