Sir Isaac Newton PRS (25 December 1642 – 20 March 1726/27[a]) was an English mathematician, physicist, astronomer, theologian, and author (described in his time as a "natural philosopher") who is widely recognised as one of the greatest mathematicians, physicists and most influential scientists of all time. His book Philosophiæ Naturalis Principia Mathematica (Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy), first published in 1687, established classical mechanics. Newton also made seminal contributions to optics, and shares credit with German mathematician Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz for developing infinitesimal calculus.
In Principia, Newton formulated the laws of motion and universal gravitation that formed the dominant scientific viewpoint until it was superseded by the theory of relativity. Newton used his mathematical description of gravity to derive Kepler's laws of planetary motion, account for tides, the trajectories of comets, the precession of the equinoxes and other phenomena, eradicating doubt about the Solar System's heliocentricity. He demonstrated that the motion of objects on Earth and celestial bodies could be accounted for by the same principles. Newton's inference that the Earth is an oblate spheroid was later confirmed by the geodetic measurements of Maupertuis, La Condamine, and others, convincing most European scientists of the superiority of Newtonian mechanics over earlier systems.
Newton built the first practical reflecting telescope and developed a sophisticated theory of colour based on the observation that a prism separates white light into the colours of the visible spectrum. His work on light was collected in his highly influential book Opticks, published in 1704. He also formulated an empirical law of cooling, made the first theoretical calculation of the speed of sound, and introduced the notion of a Newtonian fluid. In addition to his work on calculus, as a mathematician Newton contributed to the study of power series, generalised the binomial theorem to non-integer exponents, developed a method for approximating the roots of a function, and classified most of the cubic plane curves.
Newton was a fellow of Trinity College and the second Lucasian Professor of Mathematics at the University of Cambridge. He was a devout but unorthodox Christian who privately rejected the doctrine of the Trinity. Unusually for a member of the Cambridge faculty of the day, he refused to take holy orders in the Church of England. Beyond his work on the mathematical sciences, Newton dedicated much of his time to the study of alchemy and biblical chronology, but most of his work in those areas remained unpublished until long after his death. Politically and personally tied to the Whig party, Newton served two brief terms as Member of Parliament for the University of Cambridge, in 1689–1690 and 1701–1702. He was knighted by Queen Anne in 1705 and spent the last three decades of his life in London, serving as Warden (1696–1699) and Master (1699–1727) of the Royal Mint, as well as president of the Royal Society (1703–1727).
Isaac Newton | |
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 Portrait of Newton at 46 by Godfrey Kneller, 1689 | |
| Born | 4 January 1643 [O.S. 25 December 1642][a] |
| Died | 31 March 1727 (aged 84) [O.S.20 March 1726][a] |
| Resting place | Westminster Abbey |
| Education | Trinity College, Cambridge(M.A., 1668)[2] |
| Known for | show List |
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| Member of Parliament for the University of Cambridge | |
| In office 1689–1690 | |
| Preceded by | Robert Brady |
| Succeeded by | Edward Finch |
| In office 1701–1702 | |
| Preceded by | Anthony Hammond |
| Succeeded by | Arthur Annesley, 5th Earl of Anglesey |
| 12th President of the Royal Society | |
| In office 1703–1727 | |
| Preceded by | John Somers |
| Succeeded by | Hans Sloane |
| Master of the Mint | |
| In office 1699–1727 | |
| 1696–1699 | Warden of the Mint |
| Preceded by | Thomas Neale |
| Succeeded by | John Conduitt |
| 2nd Lucasian Professor of Mathematics | |
| In office 1669–1702 | |
| Preceded by | Isaac Barrow |
| Succeeded by | William Whiston |
| Personal details | |
| Political party | Whig |
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 Coat of arms  | |
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isaac_Newton
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