Ein gemeyn leycht buechlein: Zur Didaktik in Adam Ries' zweitem Rechenbuch im Vergleich zu Widmanns Behende vnd hubsche Rechenung

Ein gemeyn leycht buechlein. On the Didactics of Adam Ries’ Second Arithmetic Textbook in Comparison withWidmann’s ‘‘Behende vnd hubsche Rechenung’’Adam Ries wrote the most popular German textbook on arithmetics in Early Modern History, Rechenung auf derlinihen vnd federn (Calculations with the Computing Table and with Numerals). This contribution takes a systematiclook at the didactic benefits of Ries’ book by comparing it with the contemporary textbook by Johannes Widmann.The analysis covers three levels: the mathematical content of both textbooks, the design of their main text units—explanations and exercises—as well as the specific utilization of grammar, vocabulary, and notational schemes byRies and Widmann. In contrast to Widmann, Ries tailored his book to the needs of his audience. He selected andstructured the mathematical content according to the practical needs of merchants and craftsmen without denyingtraditions like the abacus-style calculating. His explanations and exercises followed the usual rules of arithmetictextbooks but showed great flexibility in adapting to the learning process of the reader. This was supported by astereotypical linguistic style that helped the reader to get through the text quickly.Keywords: Adam Ries, Johannes Widmann, arithmetic, textbook, didacticsSchlusselworter: Adam Ries, Johannes Widmann, Arithmetik, Rechenbuch, Didaktik