1620-1684

English Mathematician

In 1662, Viscount William Brouncker proposed to the newly restored English monarch Charles II that an institution be established to advance scientific discussion and learning. The result was the Royal Society of London, of which Brouncker served as first president. In a career that put him into contact with such preeminent figures as Pierre de Fermat (1601-1665) and John Wallis (1616-1703), Brouncker examined a number of problems, particularly the use of continued fractions to express π.

Other than the fact that he was born in Castle Lyons, Ireland, to Sir William and Lady Winefrid Brouncker in 1620, the details of Brouncker's childhood are sketchy. He and his younger brother Henry probably studied with tutors; then at age 16, Brouncker entered Oxford, where he excelled at a range of subjects that included mathematics, music, languages, and medicine. While he was still in school, in 1645, his father...