Nicholas Saunderson

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Nicholas Saunderson (1682–1739)

Nicholas Saunderson (born January 1682 in Thurlstone near Penniston, Yorkshire , † April 19, 1739 in Cambridge ) was an English mathematician .

Life

Saunderson was born the eldest son of a civil servant. He went blind at the age of one because he suffered from smallpox and consequently also lost his eyes. It was not easy for a blind boy to get a good education back then. He could only learn from books when someone read to him. Still, he was a very good student. Saunderson attended middle school in Penniston, where his main focus was on languages, but he was also very interested in mathematics . With the help of his father, he became a good musician and mathematician. At the age of 18 he met mathematicians William West and Nattleton, who taught him algebra and geometry.

Saunderson was beginning to think about making a living himself, so in 1707 he moved to Cambridge , where he wanted to work as a teacher. As a lecturer, he was very much supported by his colleagues and impressed everyone with his specialist knowledge. His colleagues William Whiston and Roger Cotes became good friends and contacts for him. All three were supporters of Newton's theories, and Saunderson was even given the opportunity to meet Isaac Newton in person. Because of his outstanding performance, Saunderson received his master's degree.

In 1711, Saunderson was appointed Professor of Mathematics in the Lucasian Chair at Cambridge University. In 1728 he was awarded the title Doctor of Laws. In 1736 he was elected a member (" Fellow ") of the Royal Society .

Saunderson married the daughter of a principal in 1723 and moved into a house with her. The marriage had two children. Still, he was tireless in his work. It is said that he succumbed to his job because he did not have a healthy lifestyle. He was buried in Boxrorth.

Services

A work on algebra by Saunderson appeared only after his death. Saunderson also left behind many materials and scripts that he used to teach. A calculating machine for the blind was also one of his inventions. A replica can be seen in the Museum for the Blind in Vienna .

literature

  • Alexander Mell: Encyclopaedic Handbook of the Blind . Published by A. Pichler's Witwe & Son, Vienna and Leipzig 1900
  • Peter Bexte: View and insight. On the topos of the blind mathematician , in: Mathesis & Graphé. Leonard Euler and the Development of Knowledge Systems, ed. by Horst Bredekamp and Wladimir Velminski, Berlin: Akademie 2009, pp. 67–83

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Entry on Saunderson; Nicholas (1682-1739) in the Royal Society Archives , London


personal data
SURNAME Saunderson, Nicholas
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Saunderson, Nicolas
BRIEF DESCRIPTION English mathematician
DATE OF BIRTH January 1682
PLACE OF BIRTH Thurlston at Penniston, Yorkshire
DATE OF DEATH April 19, 1739
Place of death Cambridge