1749-1827

French Mathematician and Astronomer

Pierre-Simon Laplace, sometimes called "the Newton of France," was a mathematician and astronomer who made many important contributions to the fields of mathematical astronomy and probability. Laplace's Mécanique Céleste (Celestial Mechanics) was the most important work in mathematical astronomy since Isaac Newton. His Théorie Analytique des Probabilités (Analytical Theory of Probability) influenced work on statistical probability for most of the nineteenth century. These two works alone guaranteed Laplace's place among the great scientists of the age.

Born to a middle-class family in Normandy, Laplace attended a Benedictine school between the ages of 7 and 16, thanks to wealthy neighbors who noticed Laplace's abilities at an early age. At the age of 16 Laplace entered Caen University to study theology. Laplace soon found that his talents and interests lay in mathematics and began a long and successful career pursuing those interests...