The concept of logarithms was invented by John Napier, a Scottish mathematician, who introduced them in the early 17th century. His work, published in 1614, was a significant breakthrough in mathematics as it simplified complex calculations. Logarithms turned multiplication and division into simpler addition and subtraction operations, which was particularly useful for astronomical and navigational calculations.苏格兰数学家Napier早在17世纪引入了对数的概念,他的著作发表于1614年。对数的发明是数学中一个显著的进展,因为它简化了复杂的计算。对数将乘法运算转化为加法,除法运算转化为减法。对数在天文和航海计算中尤为重要。