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Beccaria, Cesare Bonesana, marchese di

(Encyclopedia)Beccaria, Cesare Bonesana, marchese di chĕˈzärā bōnāzäˈnä märkāˈzā dē bĕk-kärēˈä [key], 1738–94, Italian criminologist, economist, and jurist, b. Milan. Although of a retiring dis...

compass

(Encyclopedia)compass. 1 In mathematics, an instrument for making circles and measuring distances. Frequently called a pair of compasses, it consists of two metal legs with one end of each attached to a pivot to fo...

Dee, John

(Encyclopedia)Dee, John, 1527–1608, English mathematician and occultist. He was educated at Cambridge. Accused of practicing sorcery against Queen Mary I, he was acquitted and later was a favorite of Queen Elizab...

Knuth, Donald Ervin

(Encyclopedia)Knuth, Donald Ervin no͞oth, kəno͞othˈ [key], 1938–, American mathematician and computer scientist, b. Milwaukee, Wis., grad. Case Institute of Technology (B.S. and M.S., 1960) and California Ins...

Dalton, John

(Encyclopedia)Dalton, John dôlˈtən [key], 1766–1844, English scientist. He revived the atomic theory (see atom), which he formulated in the first volume of his New System of Chemical Philosophy (2 vol., 1808�...

Newton, Sir Isaac

(Encyclopedia)Newton, Sir Isaac, 1642–1727, English mathematician and natural philosopher (physicist), who is considered by many the greatest scientist that ever lived. Newton was his university's representa...

Scaliger, Joseph Justus

(Encyclopedia)Scaliger, Joseph Justus skălˈĭjər [key], 1540–1609, French classical scholar. He was the son of Julius Caesar Scaliger, from whom he acquired his early mastery of Latin. He adopted Protestantism...

Bessel, Friedrich Wilhelm

(Encyclopedia)Bessel, Friedrich Wilhelm frēdˈrĭkh vĭlˈhĕlm bĕsˈəl [key], 1784–1846, German astronomer and mathematician. He became (1810) director of the new observatory at Königsberg and professor of a...

angle

(Encyclopedia)angle, in mathematics, figure formed by the intersection of two straight lines; the lines are called the sides of the angle and their point of intersection the vertex of the angle. Angles are commonly...

Shushkevich, Stanislav Stanislavovich

(Encyclopedia)Shushkevich, Stanislav Stanislavovich, Belarusian Stanislau Stanislavavich Shushkevich, 1934–, Belarusian political leader and scientist, first head of state of independent Belarus after the dissolu...