Mathematician:Thomas Simpson

Mathematician

British mathematician and inventor.

Eponym of Simpson's Rule to approximate definite integrals.

Nationality

British

History

• Born: 20 August 1710 in Market Bosworth, Leicestershire, England
• Died: 14 May 1761 in Market Bosworth, Leicestershire, England

Theorems and Definitions

• Simpson's Dissection
• Simpson's Rule, also known as Simpson's Formula or the Parabolic Formula
• Simpson's Formulas

Results named for Thomas Simpson can be found here.

Publications

• 1737: A New Treatise of Fluxions
• 1740: The Nature and Laws of Chance
• 1743: Mathematical Dissertations on Physical and Analytical Subjects
• 1750: The Doctrine and Application of Fluxions
• 1754: Became editor of the Ladies Diary
• 1757: An attempt to show the advantage arising by taking the mean of a number of observations in practical astronomy
• 1757: Miscellaneous Tracts

• 1757: The invention of a general method for determining the sum of every 2d, 3d, 4th, or 5th, &c. term of a series, taken in order; the sum of the whole series being known (Phil. Trans. Vol. 50: pp. 757 – 769)

Critical View

It has been said that Mr Simpson frequented low company, with whom he used to guzzle porter and gin: but it must be observed that the misconduct of his family put it out of his power to keep the company of gentlemen, as well as to procure better liquor.

-- Charles Hutton

Sources

• John J. O'Connor and Edmund F. Robertson: "Thomas Simpson": MacTutor History of Mathematics archive

• 1998: David Nelson: The Penguin Dictionary of Mathematics (2nd ed.) ... (previous) ... (next): Simpson, Thomas (1710-61)
• 2008: David Nelson: The Penguin Dictionary of Mathematics (4th ed.) ... (previous) ... (next): Simpson, Thomas (1710-61)