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[[File:William Jones, the Mathematician.jpg|thumb|right|''Portrait of William Jones'' by [[William Hogarth]], 1740 (National Portrait Gallery)]] |
[[File:William Jones, the Mathematician.jpg|thumb|right|''Portrait of William Jones'' by [[William Hogarth]], 1740 (National Portrait Gallery)]] |
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{{Π (mathematical constant)}} |
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'''William Jones''', FRS (1675 – 3 July 1749) was a [[Welsh people|Welsh]] [[mathematician]], born in the village of [[Llanfihangel Tre'r Beirdd]], on the [[Isle of Anglesey]]. |
'''William Jones''', FRS (1675 – 3 July 1749) was a [[Welsh people|Welsh]] [[mathematician]], born the son of Siôn Siôr in the village of [[Llanfihangel Tre'r Beirdd]], on the [[Isle of Anglesey]]. He attended a local charity school at Llanfechell, where his mathematical talents were spotted by the local landowner who arranged for him to be given a job in London working in a merchant's counting-house. He owed his successful career partly to the patronage of the distinguished [[Bulkeley]] family of north [[Wales]], and later to the [[Earl of Macclesfield]]. |
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He owed his successful career partly to the patronage of the distinguished [[Bulkeley]] family of north [[Wales]], and later to the [[Earl of Macclesfield]]. |
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==Biography== |
==Biography== |
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Jones served at sea, teaching mathematics on board |
Jones served at sea, teaching mathematics on board Navy ships between 1695 and 1702. he became very interested in navigation and published ''A New Compendium of the Whole Art of Navigation'' in 1702. In this work he applied mathematics to navigation, studying methods to calculate position at sea. After his voyages were over he became a mathematics teacher in [[London]]. He also held a number of posts in government offices. |
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As a mathematician, his most noted contribution is his proposal for the use of the symbol π (the [[Greek language|Greek]] letter ''[[Pi (letter)|pi]]'') to represent [[Pi|the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter]]. He became a close friend of Sir [[Isaac Newton]] and Sir [[Edmund Halley]]. In November 1711 he became a Fellow of the [[Royal Society]], and was later its Vice-President.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www2.royalsociety.org/DServe/dserve.exe?dsqIni=Dserve.ini&dsqApp=Archive&dsqCmd=Show.tcl&dsqDb=Persons&dsqPos=21&dsqSearch=%28Surname%3D%27jones%27%29|title= Library and Archive catalogue|publisher= Royal Society|accessdate= 1 November "010}}</ref> |
As a mathematician, his most noted contribution is his proposal for the use of the symbol π (the [[Greek language|Greek]] letter ''[[Pi (letter)|pi]]'') to represent [[Pi|the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter]]. He became a close friend of Sir [[Isaac Newton]] and Sir [[Edmund Halley]]. In November 1711 he became a Fellow of the [[Royal Society]], and was later its Vice-President.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www2.royalsociety.org/DServe/dserve.exe?dsqIni=Dserve.ini&dsqApp=Archive&dsqCmd=Show.tcl&dsqDb=Persons&dsqPos=21&dsqSearch=%28Surname%3D%27jones%27%29|title= Library and Archive catalogue|publisher= Royal Society|accessdate= 1 November "010}}</ref> |
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Jones published ''Synopsis Palmariorum Matheseos'' in 1706, a work which was intended for beginners and which included theorems on [[differential calculus]] and [[infinite series]] |
Jones published ''Synopsis Palmariorum Matheseos'' in 1706, a work which was intended for beginners and which included theorems on [[differential calculus]] and [[infinite series]]. In 1731 he published ''Discourses of the Natural Philosophy of the Elements''. |
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His son, also named [[William Jones (philologist)|William Jones]], was a renowned [[philologist]] who first recognised the existence of the [[Indo-European language]] group. |
His son, also named [[William Jones (philologist)|William Jones]], was a renowned [[philologist]] who first recognised the existence of the [[Indo-European language]] group. |
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Revision as of 14:23, 7 November 2010
Template:Π (mathematical constant) William Jones, FRS (1675 – 3 July 1749) was a Welsh mathematician, born the son of Siôn Siôr in the village of Llanfihangel Tre'r Beirdd, on the Isle of Anglesey. He attended a local charity school at Llanfechell, where his mathematical talents were spotted by the local landowner who arranged for him to be given a job in London working in a merchant's counting-house. He owed his successful career partly to the patronage of the distinguished Bulkeley family of north Wales, and later to the Earl of Macclesfield.
Biography
Jones served at sea, teaching mathematics on board Navy ships between 1695 and 1702. he became very interested in navigation and published A New Compendium of the Whole Art of Navigation in 1702. In this work he applied mathematics to navigation, studying methods to calculate position at sea. After his voyages were over he became a mathematics teacher in London. He also held a number of posts in government offices.
As a mathematician, his most noted contribution is his proposal for the use of the symbol π (the Greek letter pi) to represent the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter. He became a close friend of Sir Isaac Newton and Sir Edmund Halley. In November 1711 he became a Fellow of the Royal Society, and was later its Vice-President.[1]
Jones published Synopsis Palmariorum Matheseos in 1706, a work which was intended for beginners and which included theorems on differential calculus and infinite series. In 1731 he published Discourses of the Natural Philosophy of the Elements.
His son, also named William Jones, was a renowned philologist who first recognised the existence of the Indo-European language group.
References
- ^ "Library and Archive catalogue". Royal Society. Retrieved 1 November "010.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help)
External links
- William Jones and other important Welsh mathematicians