Nicholas Saunderson
Encyclopedia
Nicholas Saunderson was an English
scientist
and mathematician
. According to one leading historian of statistics, he may have been the earliest discoverer of Bayes theorem.
, Yorkshire
, in January 1682. When about a year old he lost his sight through smallpox
; but this did not prevent him from acquiring a knowledge of Latin
and Greek
, and studying mathematics
. As a child, he is also thought to have learnt to read by tracing the engravings on tombstones around St John the Baptist Church in Penistone
with his fingers. His early education was at Penistone Grammar School
.
In 1707, he arrived in Cambridge
, staying with his friend Joshua Dunn, a fellow-commoner at Christ's College
. During this time, he resided in Christ's but was not admitted to the University. With the permission of the Lucasian professor, William Whiston
, Saunderson was allowed to teach, lecturing on mathematics, astronomy and optics. Whiston was expelled from his chair on 30 October 1710; at the appeal of the heads of colleges, Queen Anne
awarded Saunderson a Master of Arts degree on 19 November 1711 so that he would be eligible to succeed Whiston as Lucasian professor, and he was chosen as the fourth Lucasian professor the next day. On 6 November 1718 he was elected a fellow of the Royal Society
. He was resident at Christ's until 1723 when he married and took a house in Cambridge. He was created doctor of laws in 1728 by command of George II
. He died of scurvy
, on 19 April 1739 and was buried in the chancel of the parish church at Boxworth
near Cambridge.
Saunderson possessed the friendship of many of the eminent mathematicians of the time, such as Sir Isaac Newton
, Edmund Halley, Abraham De Moivre
and Roger Cotes
. His senses of hearing and touch were extraordinarily acute, and he could carry on mentally long and intricate mathematical calculations. He devised a calculating machine or abacus
, by which he could perform arithmetical and algebraic operations by the sense of touch; this method is sometimes termed his palpable arithmetic, an account of which is given in his elaborate Elements of Algebra.
Of his other writings, prepared for the use of his pupils, the only one which has been published is The Method of Fluxions.
At the end of this treatise there is given, in Latin, an explanation of the principal propositions of Sir Isaac Newton’s philosophy.
Saunderson's life has been turned into a musical called No Horizon written by Andy Platt, a schoolteacher from near Thurlstone where Saunderson was born. In addition to this the Science Block of Penistone Grammar School and a local residential street are named after the local 'celebrity'
He was born in a house on Towngate which bore a "Hic Natus Est" inscribed stone. The house is long gone (1950s) but the stone is built into a wall in a small garden at Townend nearby.
Attribution
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
scientist
Scientist
A scientist in a broad sense is one engaging in a systematic activity to acquire knowledge. In a more restricted sense, a scientist is an individual who uses the scientific method. The person may be an expert in one or more areas of science. This article focuses on the more restricted use of the word...
and mathematician
Mathematician
A mathematician is a person whose primary area of study is the field of mathematics. Mathematicians are concerned with quantity, structure, space, and change....
. According to one leading historian of statistics, he may have been the earliest discoverer of Bayes theorem.
Biography
Saunderson was born at ThurlstoneThurlstone
Thurlstone is a village near Penistone in the metropolitan borough of Barnsley in South Yorkshire, England.Originally it was a small farming community. Some industries developed using water power from the River Don...
, Yorkshire
Yorkshire
Yorkshire is a historic county of northern England and the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its great size in comparison to other English counties, functions have been increasingly undertaken over time by its subdivisions, which have also been subject to periodic reform...
, in January 1682. When about a year old he lost his sight through smallpox
Smallpox
Smallpox was an infectious disease unique to humans, caused by either of two virus variants, Variola major and Variola minor. The disease is also known by the Latin names Variola or Variola vera, which is a derivative of the Latin varius, meaning "spotted", or varus, meaning "pimple"...
; but this did not prevent him from acquiring a knowledge of Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
and Greek
Greek language
Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...
, and studying mathematics
Mathematics
Mathematics is the study of quantity, space, structure, and change. Mathematicians seek out patterns and formulate new conjectures. Mathematicians resolve the truth or falsity of conjectures by mathematical proofs, which are arguments sufficient to convince other mathematicians of their validity...
. As a child, he is also thought to have learnt to read by tracing the engravings on tombstones around St John the Baptist Church in Penistone
Penistone
Penistone is a small town market town and civil parish in the Metropolitan Borough of Barnsley, in South Yorkshire, England, with a population of 10,101 at the 2001 census. It lies west of the town of Barnsley and north east of Glossop, in the foothills of the Pennines...
with his fingers. His early education was at Penistone Grammar School
Penistone Grammar School
Penistone Grammar School is a comprehensive school and former grammar school in Penistone, in the Metropolitan Borough of Barnsley, South Yorkshire, England. It was founded in 1392 and its most notable alumnus is Nicholas Saunderson, the probable inventor of Bayes theorem, in the eighteenth...
.
In 1707, he arrived in Cambridge
University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...
, staying with his friend Joshua Dunn, a fellow-commoner at Christ's College
Christ's College, Cambridge
Christ's College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge.With a reputation for high academic standards, Christ's College averaged top place in the Tompkins Table from 1980-2000 . In 2011, Christ's was placed sixth.-College history:...
. During this time, he resided in Christ's but was not admitted to the University. With the permission of the Lucasian professor, William Whiston
William Whiston
William Whiston was an English theologian, historian, and mathematician. He is probably best known for his translation of the Antiquities of the Jews and other works by Josephus, his A New Theory of the Earth, and his Arianism...
, Saunderson was allowed to teach, lecturing on mathematics, astronomy and optics. Whiston was expelled from his chair on 30 October 1710; at the appeal of the heads of colleges, Queen Anne
Anne of Great Britain
Anne ascended the thrones of England, Scotland and Ireland on 8 March 1702. On 1 May 1707, under the Act of Union, two of her realms, England and Scotland, were united as a single sovereign state, the Kingdom of Great Britain.Anne's Catholic father, James II and VII, was deposed during the...
awarded Saunderson a Master of Arts degree on 19 November 1711 so that he would be eligible to succeed Whiston as Lucasian professor, and he was chosen as the fourth Lucasian professor the next day. On 6 November 1718 he was elected a fellow of the Royal Society
Royal Society
The Royal Society of London for Improving Natural Knowledge, known simply as the Royal Society, is a learned society for science, and is possibly the oldest such society in existence. Founded in November 1660, it was granted a Royal Charter by King Charles II as the "Royal Society of London"...
. He was resident at Christ's until 1723 when he married and took a house in Cambridge. He was created doctor of laws in 1728 by command of George II
George II of Great Britain
George II was King of Great Britain and Ireland, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg and Archtreasurer and Prince-elector of the Holy Roman Empire from 11 June 1727 until his death.George was the last British monarch born outside Great Britain. He was born and brought up in Northern Germany...
. He died of scurvy
Scurvy
Scurvy is a disease resulting from a deficiency of vitamin C, which is required for the synthesis of collagen in humans. The chemical name for vitamin C, ascorbic acid, is derived from the Latin name of scurvy, scorbutus, which also provides the adjective scorbutic...
, on 19 April 1739 and was buried in the chancel of the parish church at Boxworth
Boxworth
Boxworth is a village in Cambridgeshire not far from the rapidly-expanding developments of Cambourne and Bar Hill. It is situated about 8 miles to the north-west of Cambridge. It is within the diocese of Ely. The village covers an area of 1,053 ha...
near Cambridge.
Saunderson possessed the friendship of many of the eminent mathematicians of the time, such as Sir Isaac Newton
Isaac Newton
Sir Isaac Newton PRS was an English physicist, mathematician, astronomer, natural philosopher, alchemist, and theologian, who has been "considered by many to be the greatest and most influential scientist who ever lived."...
, Edmund Halley, Abraham De Moivre
Abraham de Moivre
Abraham de Moivre was a French mathematician famous for de Moivre's formula, which links complex numbers and trigonometry, and for his work on the normal distribution and probability theory. He was a friend of Isaac Newton, Edmund Halley, and James Stirling...
and Roger Cotes
Roger Cotes
Roger Cotes FRS was an English mathematician, known for working closely with Isaac Newton by proofreading the second edition of his famous book, the Principia, before publication. He also invented the quadrature formulas known as Newton–Cotes formulas and first introduced what is known today as...
. His senses of hearing and touch were extraordinarily acute, and he could carry on mentally long and intricate mathematical calculations. He devised a calculating machine or abacus
Abacus
The abacus, also called a counting frame, is a calculating tool used primarily in parts of Asia for performing arithmetic processes. Today, abaci are often constructed as a bamboo frame with beads sliding on wires, but originally they were beans or stones moved in grooves in sand or on tablets of...
, by which he could perform arithmetical and algebraic operations by the sense of touch; this method is sometimes termed his palpable arithmetic, an account of which is given in his elaborate Elements of Algebra.
Of his other writings, prepared for the use of his pupils, the only one which has been published is The Method of Fluxions.
At the end of this treatise there is given, in Latin, an explanation of the principal propositions of Sir Isaac Newton’s philosophy.
Legacy
St Johns Gardens at St Johns Church in Penistone features a memorial spiral to Saunderson. The gardens are a joint project between St John the Baptist Church, Penistone and Penistone & District Community Partnership.Saunderson's life has been turned into a musical called No Horizon written by Andy Platt, a schoolteacher from near Thurlstone where Saunderson was born. In addition to this the Science Block of Penistone Grammar School and a local residential street are named after the local 'celebrity'
He was born in a house on Towngate which bore a "Hic Natus Est" inscribed stone. The house is long gone (1950s) but the stone is built into a wall in a small garden at Townend nearby.
External links
- No Horizon - Musical about Nicholas Saunderson
- lucasianchair.org
- http://www.cs.ubc.ca/~murphyk/Bayes/bayesrule.html Saunderson and Bayes
- Royal Society Online Archive Resource
- Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (2004).
Attribution