1692-1770

Scottish mathematician best known for explaining and extending the scope of Newton's calculus. Stirling also published a treatise on convergent series that helped to develop methods of calculating their sums more accurately and efficiently. Stirling's work on mathematical interpolation was also influential, as was his major work, Methodus Differentialis. In addition to these accomplishments, Stirling produced important work showing the shape of the Earth to be an oblate spheroid rather than a perfect sphere.