Étienne Pascal
Encyclopedia
Étienne Pascal was the father of Blaise Pascal
. His father and mother were Martin Pascal, the treasurer of France, and Marguerite Pascal de Mons. He also had three daughters, two of whom survived past childhood: Gilberte (°1620) and Jacqueline
(°1625). His wife Antoinette Begon died in 1626.
He was a tax official, lawyer and wealthy member of the petite noblesse
, who also had an interest in science and mathematics. He was trained in the law at Paris and received his law degree in 1610. That same year, he returned to Clermont and purchased the post of counsellor for Bas-Auvergne, the area surrounding Clermont.
In 1631, five years after the death of his wife, Étienne Pascal moved with his children to Paris
. The newly arrived family soon hired Louise Delfault, a maid who eventually became an instrumental member of the family. Étienne, who never remarried, decided that he alone would educate his children, for they all showed extraordinary intellectual ability, particularly his son Blaise.
Étienne Pascal served on a scientific committee (whose members included Pierre Hérigone
and Claude Mydorge
) set up to determine whether Jean-Baptiste Morin's scheme for determining longitude
from the Moon's motion was practical.
The Limaçon
was first studied and named by Étienne Pascal and so this mathematical curve is often called Pascal's Limaçon.
Blaise Pascal
Blaise Pascal , was a French mathematician, physicist, inventor, writer and Catholic philosopher. He was a child prodigy who was educated by his father, a tax collector in Rouen...
. His father and mother were Martin Pascal, the treasurer of France, and Marguerite Pascal de Mons. He also had three daughters, two of whom survived past childhood: Gilberte (°1620) and Jacqueline
Jacqueline Pascal
Jacqueline Pascal , sister of Blaise Pascal, was born at Clermont-Ferrand, Auvergne, France.Like her brother she was a prodigy, composing verses when only eight years old, and a five-act comedy at eleven. In 1646, the influence of her brother converted her to Jansenism...
(°1625). His wife Antoinette Begon died in 1626.
He was a tax official, lawyer and wealthy member of the petite noblesse
Nobles of the Robe
Under the Old Regime, the Nobles of the Robe or Nobles of the Gown were French aristocrats who owed their rank to judicial or administrative posts — often bought outright for high sums. As a rule, these positions did not grant the holder with a title , but were honorary positions almost always...
, who also had an interest in science and mathematics. He was trained in the law at Paris and received his law degree in 1610. That same year, he returned to Clermont and purchased the post of counsellor for Bas-Auvergne, the area surrounding Clermont.
In 1631, five years after the death of his wife, Étienne Pascal moved with his children to Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
. The newly arrived family soon hired Louise Delfault, a maid who eventually became an instrumental member of the family. Étienne, who never remarried, decided that he alone would educate his children, for they all showed extraordinary intellectual ability, particularly his son Blaise.
Étienne Pascal served on a scientific committee (whose members included Pierre Hérigone
Pierre Hérigone
Pierre Hérigone was a French mathematician and astronomer.Of Basque origin, Hérigone taught in Paris for most of his life.-Works:...
and Claude Mydorge
Claude Mydorge
Claude Mydorge was a French mathematician. His primary contributions were in geometry and physics.Mydorge served on a scientific committee set up to determine whether Jean-Baptiste Morin's scheme for determining longitude from the Moon's motion was practical.-External links:...
) set up to determine whether Jean-Baptiste Morin's scheme for determining longitude
Longitude
Longitude is a geographic coordinate that specifies the east-west position of a point on the Earth's surface. It is an angular measurement, usually expressed in degrees, minutes and seconds, and denoted by the Greek letter lambda ....
from the Moon's motion was practical.
The Limaçon
Limaçon
In geometry, a limaçon or limacon , also known as a limaçon of Pascal, is defined as a roulette formed when a circle rolls around the outside of a circle of equal radius. It can also be defined as the roulette formed when a circle rolls around a circle with half its radius so that the smaller...
was first studied and named by Étienne Pascal and so this mathematical curve is often called Pascal's Limaçon.