Nicolas Vilant

Nicolas Vilant (born June 12, 1737 in Ferryport-on-Tay , Scotland , † May 25, 1807 in St Andrews ) was a Scottish mathematician.

Life

Originally from France , the Vilant family had multiple connections with St. Andrews, where family members held high positions in academia and the Church. Vilant was the son of William Vilant, the pastor of Ferryport-on-Tay and his second wife Jean Wilson. His birth date given above is actually the date of his baptism . He studied at the University of St. Andrews under David Gregory and graduated in 1756 with an MA. He then taught mathematics at Watt's Academy in London.

In 1765 he returned to St. Andrews to succeed Gregory as Regius Professor of Mathematics . There were four other applicants in addition to Vilant, but Vilant submitted letters of recommendation from influential patrons that secured him the chair.

He held the professorship until his death, but was rarely able to teach himself because of severe rheumatic complaints. The lectures were given by a number of assistants on his behalf. Among the assistants are well-known mathematicians such as James Glenie, John West, James Brown, Thomas Duncan and Thomas Chalmers. Colleagues complained about Vilants' inability to give lectures himself. However, David Masson points out in 1911 that many physical and mathematical discoveries in the late 18th and early 19th centuries came from St. Andrews.

With his work The Elements of Mathematical Analysis, abridged. For the Use of Students was possibly the first book with analytical mathematics in its title in the British Isles. Like his other colleagues in Great Britain, Vilant was barely informed about mathematics on the continent. The work was published in parts and covered a substantial part of the mathematics known at the time, even if it often lacked clarity and was written in an antiquated style.

In 1783, Vilant was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh .

Around 1770 Vilant married Elizabeth Brand. Her two sons enrolled at the University of St. Andrews.

Individual evidence

↑ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k ^l ^m ⁿ ^o ^p ^q J. J. O'Connor and EF Robertson: Nicolas Vilant. Born: 12 June 1737 in Ferryport-on-Tay, now Tayport, Scotland Died: 25 May 1807 in St Andrews, Scotland. Retrieved March 5, 2020 .
↑ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g Alex DD Craik: A forgotten British analyst: Nicolas Vilant (1737–1807) . In: Historia Mathematica . tape 39 , no. 2 , May 2012, p. 174–205 , doi : 10.1016 / j.hm.2011.10.002 .
^ David Masson: Memories of two Cities, Edinburgh and Aberdeen . In: F-Masson (Ed.): Macmillan's Magazine . Oliphant, Anderson & Co., Edinburgh and London 1864, p. 45 .

personal data
SURNAME	Vilant, Nicolas
BRIEF DESCRIPTION	Scottish mathematician
DATE OF BIRTH	June 12, 1737
PLACE OF BIRTH	Ferryport-on-Tay
DATE OF DEATH	May 25, 1807
Place of death	St Andrews

[MHistVilant-1] ↑ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k ^l ^m ⁿ ^o ^p ^q J. J. O'Connor and EF Robertson: Nicolas Vilant. Born: 12 June 1737 in Ferryport-on-Tay, now Tayport, Scotland Died: 25 May 1807 in St Andrews, Scotland. Retrieved March 5, 2020 .

[Craik2012-2] ↑ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g Alex DD Craik: A forgotten British analyst: Nicolas Vilant (1737–1807) . In: Historia Mathematica . tape 39 , no. 2 , May 2012, p. 174–205 , doi : 10.1016 / j.hm.2011.10.002 .

[DMasson1911-3] David Masson: Memories of two Cities, Edinburgh and Aberdeen . In: F-Masson (Ed.): Macmillan's Magazine . Oliphant, Anderson & Co., Edinburgh and London 1864, p. 45 .