Pierre-Simon Laplace =====================
Pierre-Simon Laplace was a French mathematician and astronomer who made significant contributions to the field of mathematics, particularly in the areas of probability theory, statistics, and celestial mechanics. He is considered one of the most influential scientists of the 19th century and is often referred to as the "Newton of France".
Early Life and Education
Laplace was born on March 23, 1749, in Beaumont-en-Auge, Normandy, France. His family was of modest means, but Laplace's intellectual abilities were evident from an early age. He attended the University of Caen, where he excelled in mathematics and physics, and later moved to Paris to work as a professor of mathematics at the École Militaire with Jean-le-Rond d'Alembert.
Contributions
Laplace made several significant contributions to the field of mathematics, including:
* Mécanique Céleste (Celestial Mechanics): Laplace's five-volume work on celestial mechanics, published between 1799 and 1825, developed a strong mathematical understanding of the motion of the heavenly bodies. He showed that the gravitational interactions between planets produced only minor, periodic variations in their orbits, rather than chaotic instability. * Théorie analytique des probabilités (Analytic Theory of Probability): Laplace's work on probability theory, published in 1812, furthered the subjects of probability and statistics significantly. He supplied his own definition of probability and applied it to justify fundamental mathematical manipulations. * Laplace Operator: The Laplace operator, a fundamental concept in potential theory, is named after Laplace. * Laplace Transform: The Laplace transform, used in the study of differential equations, is also named after Laplace.
Awards and Honors
Laplace was made a member of the Paris Academic des Sciences in 1773, where he assumed a senior position in 1785. He was given the duty of standardizing all European weights and measures.
Personal Life
Laplace died on March 5, 1827, in Paris, France, at the age of 77.