1698-1746

Scottish Mathematician and Physicist

First mathematician to provide systematic proof of Sir Isaac Newton's (1642-1727) theorems, Colin Maclaurin was also noted for his advances in geometry and applied physics. On the one hand, Maclaurin belonged solidly to the Age of Reason, with talents as diverse as those of more famous figures from the period, such as Thomas Jefferson; on the other hand, he remained a man of faith to the end of his life.

Maclaurin, who was born in Kilmodan, Scotland, in 1698, lost both of his parents early in life. His father, a highly learned minister named John Maclaurin, died when the boy was just six years old, and the mother followed by three years. Maclaurin was left in the care of his uncle Daniel.

As a college student, initially Maclaurin studied divinity at the University of Glasgow, but a professor encouraged his interest in...