Mathematician:Pierre Varignon

Mathematician
French mathematician whose principal contributions were to graphic statics and mechanics.

Friend of, , and the.

One of the earliest and strongest French advocates of infinitesimal calculus.

Exposed the errors in 's critique thereof.

Nationality
French

History

 * Born: 1654 in Caen, France
 * Educated at Jesuit College
 * 19 December 1676: took holy orders
 * September 1682: Received M.A. from University of Caen
 * 1683: Became priest at Saint Ouen parish in Caen
 * 1686: Went to Paris and made contact with mathematicians and scientists there
 * 1688: Became professor of mathematics at Collège Mazarin in Paris
 * 1688: Elected to the Académie Royale des Sciences
 * 1690: Created a mechanical explanation of gravitation
 * 1702: Applied calculus to spring-driven clocks
 * 1704: Held departmental chair at Collège Mazarin
 * 1704: Became professor of mathematics at Collège Royal
 * 1704: Invented the U-tube manometer
 * 1713: Elected to Berlin Academy
 * 1718: Elected to Royal Society
 * Died: 23 December 1722 in Paris, France

Theorems

 * Varignon's Parallelogram Theorem
 * Varignon's Theorem (Mechanics)

Publications

 * 1687: Projet d'une nouvelle mécanique
 * 1699: (concerning the application of differential calculus to fluid flow and to water clocks)
 * 1731: Elements de mathematique