Marin Mersenne Leads an International Effort to Understand Cycloids
Overview
French mathematician, theologian, and educator Marin Mersenne (1588-1648) made numerous contributions to mathematics, including the prompting of a greater understanding of cycloids, which in turn directly affected the development of the pendulum clock. By opposing irrational or superstitious interpretations of phenomena, including numbers, Mersenne helped elevate the level of mathematics and mathematical research. Indeed, it was his insistence on empirical evidence, as well as his curiosity about cycloids, that affected Christiaan Huygens's (1629-1695) work, which in turn resulted in Huygens patenting a pendulum clock. Without a doubt, though, Mersenne's great contribution to his time was his indefatigable devotion to collecting, sharing, and distributing scientific and mathematical information among a wide community of correspondents and scholars. In this way, he was a sort of oneman repository or clearinghouse, very much aware of the vital importance of feedback and commentary to scientific progress.
Background
Marin Mersenne was the child of a laborer who escaped the poverty of his birth by education—which may have been subsidized by the Jesuits. He studied at the College of Mans, and from 1604 to 1609 studied at Le Fleche, a Jesuit institution, followed by two years of theological studies at the Sorbonne in Paris.
This page contains 201 words.
Marin Mersenne Leads an International Effort to Understand Cycloids article
Read the rest of this article.
This article contains 1,509 words
(approx. 5 pages at 300 words per page).
Order our Marin Mersenne Article
