Thomas Simpson

Thomas Simpson (August 20, 1710 – May 14, 1761) was a British mathematician, inventor and eponym of Simpson's rule to approximate definite integrals. However, this rule was also found 200 years earlier from Johannes Kepler, in the so-called Keplersche Fassregel.

Biography

Simpson was born in Market Bosworth, Leicestershire. The son of a weaver, [cite web |url=http://numericalmethods.eng.usf.edu/anecdotes/simpson.html |title=Thomas Simpson |accessdate=2008-04-08 |last= |first= |coauthors= |date= |work= |publisher=Holistic Numerical Methods Institute] Simpson taught himself mathematics, then turned to astrology after seeing a solar eclipse. He also dabbled in divination and caused fits in a girl after 'raising a devil' from her. After this incident, he and his wife had to flee to Derby [ [http://www.cartage.org.lb/en/themes/Biographies/MainBiographies/S/SimpsonT/1.html Simpson, Thomas (1710-1761)] ] . They later moved to London.

From 1743, he taught mathematics at the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich.

Apparently, the method that became known as Simpson's rule was well known and used earlier by Bonaventura Cavalieri (a student of Galileo) in 1639, later rediscovered by James Gregory, and was only attributed to Simpson.

Works

* "Treatise of Fluxions" (1737)
* "The Nature and Laws of Chance" (1740)
* "The Doctrine of Annuities and Reversions" (1742)
* "Mathematical Dissertation on a Variety of Physical and Analytical Subjects" (1743)
* "A Treatise of Algebra" (1745)
* "Elements of Geometry" (1747)
* "Trigonometry, Plane and Spherical" (1748)
* "Select Exercises in Mathematics" (1752)
* "Miscellaneous Tracts on Some Curious Subjects in Mechanics, Physical Astronomy and Speculative Mathematics" (1757)

References

See also

* Simpson's Rule

External links

* [http://mathdl.maa.org/convergence/1/?pa=content&sa=viewDocument&nodeId=569&bodyId=872 Thomas Simpson and his Work on Maxima and Minima] at [http://mathdl.maa.org/convergence/1/ Convergence]
* [http://77.1911encyclopedia.org/S/SI/SIMPSON_THOMAS.htm 1911 encyclopedia entry]
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