1812-1882 English mathematician who calculated extraordinarily precise values of π, e, and Euler's constant, g. Shanks's calculations of π, carried out manually to 707 decimal places, were unfortunately found to be correct...

William Shanks (January 25, 1812 -- 1882 in Houghton-le-Spring, Durham, England) was a British amateur mathematician. Shanks is famous for his calculation of π to 707 places, accomplished in the year 1873, which, however, was only correct up to the...