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Period: Sep 12, 1460 to
Advancement of Mathematics
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Period: Sep 12, 1460 to Sep 12, 1550
Discovery of Calculus
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Sep 12, 1465
Scipione del Ferro (1465-1526 AD)
Knowing the general cubic equation could be simplified to of two cases, Ferro, an Italian mathematician, was the first to discover a method to solve the depressed cubic equation. While he studied at the University of Bologna, he was appointed a lecturer in arithmetic and geometry. He also made contributions to the rationalization of fractions with denominators containing sums of cube roots. Ferro also examined geometry problems with a compass set at a fixed angle. -
Sep 12, 1500
Niccolo Fontana Tartaglia (1500-1557 AD)
As a mathematician, engineer, and surveyor, Fontana published many books which included the first Italian translation of Archimedes and Euclid. He was also the first to apply math to the examination of the path of cannonballs. This work later confirmed Galileo’s work on falling bodies. Fontana even went as far as publishing a work of how to retrieve sunken ships. Fontana also discovered a method to solve cubic equations. -
Sep 12, 1550
John Napier (1550-1617 AD)
Through his work in astronomy, Napier realized that all numbers could be expressed in what is now called exponential form. Napier first released this discovery in 1614 in his book which briefly described and explained his inventions along with an excellent discussion of theorems in spherical trigonometry (usually known as Napier's Rules of Circular Parts). But more importantly, the book included his first set of logarithmic tables. -
Period: Sep 12, 1550 to
Progression
Development in Calculus and Physics continue to progress exponentially -
Sep 12, 1564
Galileo Galilei (1564-1642 AD)
As an Italian mathematician, physicist, and philosopher, Galilei played a major role in the Scientific Revolution. He made significant achievements including improvements to the telescope and astronomical observations for Copernicanism. He has been called the “Father of Modern Observational Astronomy,” “Father of Science,” and “Father of Modern Science.” Also, he has showed that there are as many perfect squares as there are whole numbers . -
Sep 12, 1571
Johannes Kepler (1571-1630 AD)
As a German mathematician, astrologer, and stronomer, Kepler was a key figure in the 17th century scientific revolution and was best known for his eponymous laws of planetary motion. Kepler was a mathematics teacher at school in Austria but later became an assistant to a well-known astronomer. He made considerable contributions in the field of optics and laid the groundwork for Newtonian Theory of Universal Gravitation. -
Period: Sep 12, 1571 to
Earth's Environment
Laws of gravity and rules pertaining to our solar system were being developed and proven due to the creation of the telescope -
Rene Descartes (1596-1650 AD)
As a French mathematician, philosopher, and writer, Descartes spent most of his adult life in the Dutch Republic. He is most famously known as the “Father of Modern Philosophy.” One of his major contributions to the field of mathematics is the development of the Cartesian Coordinate Plane. He is attributed the title of “The Father of Analytical Geometry” where he bridged the gap between algebra and geometry. -
Pierre de Fermat (1601-1665 AD)
Fermat was predominantly a French lawyer and then an amateur mathematician. He has been given credit for early developments that led to infinitesimal calculus. Mainly, he is recognized for his discovery of an original method of finding the smallest and greatest ordinates of curved lines. Fermat made considerable contributions to analytic geometry, optics, and probability. -
Blaise Pascal (1623-1662 AD)
As a French mathematician, physicist, and Catholic philosopher, Pascal was a child prodigy who was educated by his father. Even though only a teenager, Pascal began some work on calculating machines and eventually invented the mechanical calculator called the Pascaline. He had a significant work on the subject of projective geometry and another one on the theory of probability. His most famous contribution in the field of mathematics was the Pascal Triangle. -
Isaac Newton (1642-1727 AD)
As an English mathematician, philosopher, and theologian, Newton laid the foundations for most classical mechanics in monograph Philosophiae Naturalis Principia. Here, Newton explains universal gravitation and the three laws of motion. He showed the motions of objects on Earth are governed by the same set of natural laws. It is believed that Newton developed infinitesimal calculus. -
Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz (1646-1716 AD)
As a German mathematician and philosopher, Leibniz also developed the infinitesimal calculus. His mathematical notation has been widely used ever since it was published. In the field of mechanical calculators, he became one of the most famous inventors. He also was the first to describe the pinwheel calculator, invented the Leibniz wheel, and also refined the binary number system. -
Johann Bernoulli (1667-1748 AD)
The Swiss mathematician is most commonly known for his contributions to infinitesimal calculus. Upon completing a degree from Basel University, Bernoulli taught differential equations and then married Dorothea Falkner. He was then a professor of mathematics at the University of Groningen.
