Blaise Pascal
Blaise Pascal
Blaise Pascal (pronounced: blaɪz pæˈskæl) was a French mathematician, physicist, inventor, writer and Catholic theologian. He was born on June 19, 1623, and died on August 19, 1662.
Etymology
The name "Blaise" is of French origin and means "lisping". "Pascal" is a surname of Latin origin, derived from "Paschalis", which means "relating to Easter".
Related Terms
- Mathematics: The abstract science of number, quantity, and space.
- Physics: The branch of science concerned with the nature and properties of matter and energy.
- Inventor: A person who invented a particular process or device or who invents things as an occupation.
- Theology: The study of the nature of God and religious belief.
Biography
Blaise Pascal was born in Clermont-Ferrand, in the Auvergne region of France. He lost his mother, Antoinette Begon, at the age of three. His father, Étienne Pascal, who also had an interest in science and mathematics, moved the family to Paris. Pascal was educated entirely by his father, who directed his curriculum and prohibited him from studying mathematics before the age of 15. But, Pascal's curiosity led him to start learning geometry himself at the age of 12.
Pascal is most recognized for his significant contributions to the natural and applied sciences, where he helped lay the foundation for the modern theory of Probability. His earliest work was in the natural and applied sciences, where he made significant contributions to the study of fluids, and clarified the concepts of pressure and vacuum by generalizing the work of Evangelista Torricelli. Pascal also wrote powerfully in defense of the scientific method.
In 1642, while still a teenager, he started some pioneering work on calculating machines, and after three years of effort and 50 prototypes, he built 20 finished machines (called Pascal's calculators) over the following 10 years. Pascal was a mathematician of the first order. He helped create two major new areas of research. He wrote a significant treatise on the subject of projective geometry at the age of 16, and later corresponded with Pierre de Fermat on probability theory, strongly influencing the development of modern economics and social science.
Following a religious experience in late 1654, he began writing influential works on philosophy and theology. His two most famous works date from this period: the Lettres provinciales and the Pensées, the former set in the conflict between Jansenists and Jesuits. In this year, he also wrote an important treatise on the arithmetical triangle. Between 1658 and 1659, he wrote on the cycloid and its use in calculating the volume of solids.
Pascal had poor health, especially after his 18th year, and his death came just two months after his 39th birthday.
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Blaise Pascal
- Wikipedia's article - Blaise Pascal
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