Mathematician:Pierre-Simon de Laplace

Mathematician
French mathematician and astronomer whose work greatly influenced the development of the mathematics governing astronomy.

Pioneered the field of mathematical physics. Considered himself to be the greatest mathematician in France.

Known within his lifetime as "the of France".

Nationality
French

History

 * Born: 23 March 1749 in Beaumont-en-Auge, Normandy, France
 * Died: 5 March 1827 in Paris, France

Theorems

 * Laplace's Equation
 * Laplace Transform
 * Laplacian Differential Operator
 * Laplace's Expansion Theorem
 * Laplace-Runge-Lenz Vector (with and )

Books and Papers

 * 1784: Théorie du movement et de la figure elliptique des planètes
 * 1796: Exposition du système du monde
 * 1799 – 1825: (5 volumes)
 * 1812:
 * 1814: Essai philosophique sur les probabilités

His complete works have been published as:
 * Œuvres complètes de Laplace, 14 volumes (published 1878 – 1912). However, this does not include his 1784: Théorie du movement et de la figure elliptique des planètes.

Also known as
Some sources report his name as Pierre Simon de Laplace (that is, without the hyphen).

Notable Quotes

 * Sire, I had no need of that hypothesis.


 * At bottom, the theory of probability is only common sense reduced to calculation.

Critical View

 * Laplace is the great example of the wisdom of directing all of one's efforts to a single central objective worthy of the best a man has in him.