# Mathematician:John Wallis

## Mathematician

English mathematician who made considerable contributions towards the invention of the calculus.

Credited with introducing the symbol $\infty$ for infinity.

One of the first English mathematicians to use the techniques of analytic geometry as defined by Descartes.

Rediscovered a neat proof of Pythagoras' Theorem originally published by Bhaskara II in the $12$th century.

Introduced negative and fractional exponents.

Provided a much-cited but incorrect solution to the problem of Prince Rupert's Cube.

English

## History

• Born: November 23, 1616, Ashford, Kent, England
• 1649: Savilian Professor of Geometry at Oxford
• Died: October 28, 1703, Oxford, Oxfordshire, England

## Theorems and Definitions

Results named for John Wallis can be found here.

Definitions of concepts named for John Wallis can be found here.

## Publications

Treatise of Angular Sections (unpublished for forty years after it was written)

Restored some ancient Greek texts, for example:

### Dispute with Hobbes

From $1655$ onwards he was involved in an intellectual dispute with Thomas Hobbes, whence various publications with titles like:

• Due Correction for Mr Hobbes, or School Discipline for not saying his Lessons Aright

### Non-mathematical

• 1653: Grammatica linguae Anglicanae
• 1687: Institutio logicae

## Notable Quotes

These Imaginary Quantities (as they are commonly called) arising from the Supposed Root of a Negative Square (when they happen) are reputed to imply that the Case proposed is Impossible.