René Descartes, French Polymath #3
by Science Source
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René Descartes, French Polymath #3
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Science Source
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Photograph - Photograph
Description
Descartes (at lower center) was stationed with the French army in the Dutch town of Breda in 1617, where it was the custom to post geometry problems on the town walls. He asked the head of a local college, Beckman (at lower right), to translate the problem. To Beckman's surprise, Descartes immediately solved it. René Descartes (March 31, 1596 - February 11, 1650) was a French mathematician, philosopher and physiologist. Living on his modest inherited wealth, Descartes traveled, studied, wrote, and served as a soldier in Holland, Bohemia and Hungary. He created analytical geometry, which translates geometrical problems into algebraic form so that algebraic methods can be applied to their solution. Conversely he applied geometry to algebra. He propounded Cartesian dualism, stating that mind and matter are two distinct substances which can interact. He believed that god is the prime mover of matter, and that everything has a cause. Descartes died in 1650, at the age of 53, soon after becoming tutor to queen Christina of Sweden. The cause of death was said to be pneumonia.
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August 3rd, 2015
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