(Cardano, Girolamo) (1501-1576) Physician and mathematician, born Pavia, Italy; died Rome, Italy. He lectured on medicine at Milan, Pavia, and Bologna and in 1571 went to Rome, where he received a pension from the pope and practised his profession. He was unjustly charged with atheism, because of his interest in astrology and superstition. Among other works he published a treatise on algebra which contains the solution of the cubic equation since named after him.