SIMPSON, THOMAS (1710-1761)

Number Theory for the Millenium

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Rare Book Room Exhibit

SIMPSON, THOMAS (1710-1761).

The Doctrine and Application of Fluxions. Part II. London: 1776.
Elements if Geometry with their Application to the Mensuration of Superficies and Solids. London: 1760.
The Nature and Laws of Chance. London: 1792.
Essay on several Curious and Useful Subjects in Speculative and Mix'd Mathematics. London: 1740.
Mathematical Dissertations on a variety of Physical and Analytical Subjects. London: 1743.
Miscellaneous Tracts on Some Curious and very Interesting Subjects in Mechanics, Physical-Astronomy, and Speculative Mathematics. London: 1757.

Thomas Simpson is most famous for promulgating "Simpson's rule", which is a method of numerical approximation for a definite integral, and is often a student's first formal introduction to numerical analysis (found in Mathematical Dissertations). Simpson, the son of a weaver, was self taught in mathematics. In 1736 he moved to London, worked as a weaver and taught mathematics in his spare time. By 1743, he was Professor of Mathematics at the Royal Academy at Woolwich.

The exhibit has a variety of Simpson's books. The subjects covered include the figure of the earth, tides, astronomical refractions, extraction of roots, summation of series and "some new and very useful improvements in the inverse method of fluxions."

Small - 189 KB
Large - 650 KB SIMPSON, THOMAS (1710 - 1761). The Doctrine and Application of Fluxions. Part II. London: 1776.