MacTutor
Mathematicians Of The Day
10th November
On this day in 1618, René Descartes had the first of a number of dreams which led him to the invention of analytic geometry. He believed that these dreams were sent by a divine spirit with the intention of revealing to him a new approach to philosophy.
Click on Ⓟ for a poster.
Born:
- 1829: Elwin Christoffel Ⓟ
- 1891: James Cassels Ⓟ
- 1896: Heinz Prüfer Ⓟ
- 1899: Tomás Rodríguez Bachiller Ⓟ
- 1902: Thomas Room Ⓟ
- 1926: Zdzisław Pawlak Ⓟ
Died:
- 1683: John Collins Ⓟ
- 1931: Charlotte Angas Scott Ⓟ
- 1970: Heinz Rutishauser Ⓟ
- 1988: Otto Haupt Ⓟ
- 1998: Jean Leray Ⓟ
- 2008: Kiyosi Ito Ⓟ
- 2015: Klaus Roth Ⓟ
Quotation of the day
From Charlotte Angas Scott
But just because geometry is so eminently fitted for the youthful mind it should be at first presented in such form as to be in accord with the general views of laymen, when these are not in direct opposition to the truth.
