Colin Maclaurin was one of Europe's foremost mathematicians during the 1700s. He was the first to provide systematic proof of Isaac Newton's theorems. Some of his noted accomplishments include explanations of the properties of conics and the theory of tides. Maclaurin was also a brilliant mathematician in his own right, who solved many problems in geometry and applied physics. Besides being an esteemed mathematician, Maclaurin was a creative inventor who loved to devise mechanical appliances. He was skilled in astronomy, mapmaking and sometimes spent his spare time acting as an actuary for insurance companies.

Maclaurin was born in Kilmodan, Scotland, in 1698, the son of a minister named John Maclaurin, a man of great learning. Unfortunately, his father died when Colin was just six years old. When his mother died nine years later, Maclaurin moved in with his uncle, Daniel Maclaurin.

Maclaurin's eldest brother, John, studied for the...