John Pell wrote or contributed to several useful books on algebra and the study of mathematics itself. He was particularly known for his work on the algebraic equation, first studied by Brahmagupta, y²=ax² + 1, where "a" is a non-square integer.

Pell was born on March 1, 1611 (some sources say 1610) in Southwick, Sussex, England, the son of a vicar. He was only a small boy when both of his parents died, but it is not clear who raised him or where. He received his early education at the Steyning School in Sussex, leaving when he was 13 to begin studying at Trinity College in Cambridge, England. Pell received a bachelor's degree from the school in 1629, having published his "Description and Use of the Quadrant" in 1628, and a master's degree the following year.

In 1630, Pell worked as the assistant master at Collyer's School in Horsham and then for another year at the...