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Quote by Colin Maclaurin

“[writing to Stirling in 1740] ... an unlucky accident happened to some of the French mathematicians in Peru. It seems that they were shewing French gallantry to the natives' wives, who have murdered their servants destroyed their instruments and burnt their papers, the Gentlemen escaping narrowly themselves. What an ugly article this will make in a journal.”

Quote by Colin Maclaurin

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Colin Maclaurin
Colin Maclaurin

Colin Maclaurin (1698-1746) was a distinguished Scottish mathematician and a leading figure in the Newton school of mathematics. He became a professor of mathematics at Marischal College Aberdeen at the remarkably young age of 19. Maclaurin made significant contributions to calculus, geometry, and algebra, and is best remembered for the Maclaurin series, a special case of the Taylor series. His influential work "Treatise on Fluxions" (1742) systematically developed Newton's method of fluxions and addressed issues of convergence. He also contributed to geodesy, astronomy, and physics, winning prizes from the French Academy of Sciences. As a professor at the University of Edinburgh, he trained generations of mathematicians and played a pivotal role in the Scottish Enlightenment's scientific advancement. He died on June 14, 1746, at age 48. more

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