Marin Mersenne Biography

Marin Mersenne was a French monk, mathematician, scientist, and philosopher known for his development of the Mersenne primes, which have played a significant role in number theory for several centuries. Born into a family of laborers in Oize in Maine, France, Mersenne attended the College of Mans for his grammar studies and then enrolled at the Jesuit college at La Fleche from 1604 until 1609. He then studied theology at the Sorbonne in Paris until 1611, when he joined the Minims, an order of Catholic friars dedicated to prayer and scholarship. Mersenne continued his studies at Minims' monasteries at Nigeon and Meaux and also taught philosophy at a monastery in Nevers. In 1619, Mersenne went to live at a monastery in Paris, where he spent the rest of his life.

A prolific writer, Mersenne's works in mathematics and physics were bolstered greatly by correspondence with scientists throughout Europe. As scientific journals or means of quick and easy communication were unavailable in Mersenne's time, scientists rarely had the opportunity to collaborate intellectually with their peers in other countries. Mersenne's prolific correspondence helped to bring scientists and scientific thought together. Many of the most famous scientists of the day corresponded with Mersenne or would visit him in his cell at the monastery, which is also where French philosopher René Descartes and mathematician Blaise Pascal first met.

The Mersenne prime developed from Mersenne's correspondence with French mathematician Pierre de Fermat (1601-1665) and his efforts to find a formula that would represent all prime numbers. Although Mersenne's formula (2P - 1, in which P is the prime) works only for some primes, it has fostered many advances in number theory, especially in the search for new primes. Mersenne also furthered scientific thought by defending the ideas of Descartes and Galileo, and expressing opposition to magic, astrology, and other pseudo-sciences. Mersenne proposed that the pendulum would be a good timing device to Christiaan Huygens, the Dutch mathematician who is credited with its invention, and strongly supported the value of rigid experimentation in the study of nature. Mersenne's voluminous publications included Cognita Physico-Mathematica, in which he set forth his Mersenne prime formula; Les Méchanique de Galilée, about the work of Galileo; and Traité d'Harmonie Universelle, in which he discussed music and acoustics, establishing that the intensity of a sound is in inverse proportion to the distance from its source. Although a strong proponent of science, Mersenne equally defended his orthodox faith against atheism and skepticism.