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Darboux, Jean Gaston

(Encyclopedia)Darboux, Jean Gaston zhäN gästôNˈ därbo͞oˈ [key], 1842–1917, French mathematician. He is known for his work on orthogonal surfaces and for his application of infinitesimal calculus to geometr...

Green, George

(Encyclopedia)Green, George, 1793–1841, English mathematician and physicist. He was largely self-taught until, in 1833, he entered Caius College, Cambridge. In addition to making a number of contributions to the ...

Snell, Willebrord

(Encyclopedia)Snell or Snellius, Willebrord vĭlˈəbrôrt snĕl, snĕlēəs [key], 1591–1626, Dutch mathematician. He is generally credited with the discovery (1621) of the law of the refraction of light. In 161...

Borel, Félix Édouard Émile

(Encyclopedia)Borel, Félix Édouard Émile fālēksˈ ādwärˈ āmēlˈ bôrĕlˈ [key], 1871–1956, French mathematician. He is noted for his work in infinitesimal calculus and the calculus of probabilities. He...

Boscovich, Ruggiero Giuseppe

(Encyclopedia)Boscovich, Ruggiero Giuseppe ro͞od-jāˈrō jo͞ozĕpˈpā bôsˈkōvēch [key], 1711–87, Italian mathematician, astronomer, and physicist. He became a Jesuit and taught at Rome, Pavia, and Milan. ...

Kronecker, Leopold

(Encyclopedia)Kronecker, Leopold lāˈōpôlt krōˈnĕkˌər [key], 1823–91, German mathematician. After making a fortune in business he devoted his attention to mathematics and became professor at the Univ. of ...

Toscanelli, Paolo dal Pozzo

(Encyclopedia)Toscanelli, Paolo dal Pozzo päˈōlō däl pôtˈtsō tōskänĕlˈlē [key], 1397–1482, Italian cosmographer and mathematician. A physician by training, he was also known as Paul the Physician. He...

Coffin, James Henry

(Encyclopedia)Coffin, James Henry, 1806–73, American mathematician and meteorologist, was professor of mathematics and physics, Lafayette College, 1846–73. In an observatory which he built on Mt. Greylock, Mass...

Al-Khowarizmi

(Encyclopedia)Al-Khowarizmi äl-khōwärēzˈmē [key], fl. 820, Arab mathematician of the court of Mamun in Baghdad. His treatises on Hindu arithmetic and on algebra made him famous. He is said to have given algeb...

Grimaldi, Francesco Maria

(Encyclopedia)Grimaldi, Francesco Maria fränchāsˈkō märēˈä grēmälˈdē [key], 1618?–1663, Italian physicist and mathematician. A Jesuit and professor at Bologna, he studied in detail and named the dark ...