Mathematician Project
Isaac Newton was born in Woolsthorpe, Lincolnshire, England. He was born the son of Isaac Newton Senior, a wealthy farmer. Newton Senior died three months before junior was born. When he was three his mother got remarried to a minister. Isaac then moved in with his grandmother. This abandonment that his mother forced on him later developed into a great case of insecurity. This caused him to defend his work obsessively later in life.
When he was 12, he reunited with his mother after his stepfather died. Isaac joined the King’s School in Grantham. His mother then pulled Isaac out of school so he could learn to become a farmer. He failed miserably at farming, so, he went back to school to finish his schooling. In 1661, Newton enrolled in University of Cambridge. During this time Newton kept a set of note titled “Quaestiones Quaedam Philosophicae” (Certain Philosophical Questions) that discussed his theory of gravity. Around this time the plague was spreading and Cambridge was forced to shut down.
In 1667, the plague had ended. Newton returned to Cambridge. He wrote a treatise called De Analysi (The Analysis). His uncle, Barrow, shared this manuscript to John Collins, an acclaimed mathematician. Collins said, “Mr. Newton...very young...but of an extraordinary genius and proficiency in these things.” After this, Newton became a very famous mathematician. He then became a professor at Cambridge.
In 1668, Newton created a reflecting telescope. This reflecting telescope was made of many spherical mirrors. This telescope was used to confirm his theory about light. He then published his works on light. He concluded that white light was made of all colors of the spectrum and that light was made of particles. This publication was condemned by Robert Hooke, who believed that light was made of waves. Later, Newton’s theory was proved to be correct. Robert Hooke and Isaac Newton each belonged to the same academic society, the Fellows. The rivalry between continued for several years. In 1678, Newton suffered a mental breakdown. This caused him to become extremely introverted for 6 years and to speak to no one. During these 6 years, Newton returned to his study of gravity and it’s effect on a planet’s orbit. Newton decided to come back to the world and share his ideas with Robert Hooke with his ideas. Hooke responded by bringing up the idea of planetary motion. Many letters then transpired. Hooke’s ideas on planetary motion was soon combined into Newton’s works.
In 1684, Hooke spoke to Christopher Wren and Edmond Halley, fellow members of the Royal Society. Halley decided to meet Newton and Hooke at Cambridge. Halley asked Newton what shape of a planet take if its attraction to the sun followed the inverse of the distance between them. This question came of Hooke’s theory. Newton knew that it was an ellipse, of course, from his 6 years of seclusion, but, Newton claimed to have solved it 18 years previously. Halley promised to pay Newton if he could give the answer mathematically. Newton never could give the answer.
In 1687, after 18 months of hard work, Newton published Philosophiae Naturalis Principia Mathematica (Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy). This is said to be the most influential book on physics. This book talks about bodies in motion and gives Newtons 3 basic laws of motion, 1) On about in motion will stay in motion until an outside force is acted upon it; 2) Force equals mass times acceleration and change in motion is proportional to the force applied; 3) For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. These laws greatly helped physicists describe the most pressing issue of that time, planetary motion. When Principia was published, Robert Hooke immediately accused Newton of plagiarism, saying that he had discovered the theory of inverse squares and that Newton had stolen his work. Newton was never punished because everyone knew that Hooke had only theorized on this topic and never had any proof. Newton was furious with this accusation and strongly defended his discoveries
Newton took away all references took Hooke’s theory in his book and threatened to stop publishing his work. As years went on, Hooke’s life went downhill. His niece and wife died the same year Principia was published. As Newton’s fame grew, Hooke’s declined. Hooke then took every opportunity to offend Newton. Hooke died the same year Newton was elected to be the president of the Royal Society, in 1703.
Principia raised Newton to an international level. Willingly or not he had to become more involved in public affairs. In 1689 he was elected to be Cambridge’s member in parliament. Newton then relocated to London. In London, became friends with John Locke, a political philosopher. Many scientists were still teaching Aristotle’s work, Locke was part of a group that learned everything from Newtons works. However, Newton fell into another nervous breakdown in 1693. The most probable cause of this was probably chronic mercury poisoning due to his many years working with alchemy. This caused many to lose respect in his works. In 1696, Newton was able to become the Warden of the Mint. He permanently moved to London and lived with his niece. In 1703, he was elected to be president of the Royal Society. In 1705, he was knighted by Queen Anne. When he reached the age of 80, Newton experienced digestion problems, he had to drastically had to change his diet. Then in March 1727, Newton had severe pain in his abdomen and lost consciousness. He then died the next day, at age 85. In his later life he was asked for an assessment of his achievements, he replied, “I do not know what I may appear to the world; but to myself I seem to have been only like a boy playing on the seashore, and diverting myself now and then finding a smoother pebble or prettier shell than ordinary, while the great ocean of truth lay all undiscovered before me.”
When he was 12, he reunited with his mother after his stepfather died. Isaac joined the King’s School in Grantham. His mother then pulled Isaac out of school so he could learn to become a farmer. He failed miserably at farming, so, he went back to school to finish his schooling. In 1661, Newton enrolled in University of Cambridge. During this time Newton kept a set of note titled “Quaestiones Quaedam Philosophicae” (Certain Philosophical Questions) that discussed his theory of gravity. Around this time the plague was spreading and Cambridge was forced to shut down.
In 1667, the plague had ended. Newton returned to Cambridge. He wrote a treatise called De Analysi (The Analysis). His uncle, Barrow, shared this manuscript to John Collins, an acclaimed mathematician. Collins said, “Mr. Newton...very young...but of an extraordinary genius and proficiency in these things.” After this, Newton became a very famous mathematician. He then became a professor at Cambridge.
In 1668, Newton created a reflecting telescope. This reflecting telescope was made of many spherical mirrors. This telescope was used to confirm his theory about light. He then published his works on light. He concluded that white light was made of all colors of the spectrum and that light was made of particles. This publication was condemned by Robert Hooke, who believed that light was made of waves. Later, Newton’s theory was proved to be correct. Robert Hooke and Isaac Newton each belonged to the same academic society, the Fellows. The rivalry between continued for several years. In 1678, Newton suffered a mental breakdown. This caused him to become extremely introverted for 6 years and to speak to no one. During these 6 years, Newton returned to his study of gravity and it’s effect on a planet’s orbit. Newton decided to come back to the world and share his ideas with Robert Hooke with his ideas. Hooke responded by bringing up the idea of planetary motion. Many letters then transpired. Hooke’s ideas on planetary motion was soon combined into Newton’s works.
In 1684, Hooke spoke to Christopher Wren and Edmond Halley, fellow members of the Royal Society. Halley decided to meet Newton and Hooke at Cambridge. Halley asked Newton what shape of a planet take if its attraction to the sun followed the inverse of the distance between them. This question came of Hooke’s theory. Newton knew that it was an ellipse, of course, from his 6 years of seclusion, but, Newton claimed to have solved it 18 years previously. Halley promised to pay Newton if he could give the answer mathematically. Newton never could give the answer.
In 1687, after 18 months of hard work, Newton published Philosophiae Naturalis Principia Mathematica (Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy). This is said to be the most influential book on physics. This book talks about bodies in motion and gives Newtons 3 basic laws of motion, 1) On about in motion will stay in motion until an outside force is acted upon it; 2) Force equals mass times acceleration and change in motion is proportional to the force applied; 3) For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. These laws greatly helped physicists describe the most pressing issue of that time, planetary motion. When Principia was published, Robert Hooke immediately accused Newton of plagiarism, saying that he had discovered the theory of inverse squares and that Newton had stolen his work. Newton was never punished because everyone knew that Hooke had only theorized on this topic and never had any proof. Newton was furious with this accusation and strongly defended his discoveries
Newton took away all references took Hooke’s theory in his book and threatened to stop publishing his work. As years went on, Hooke’s life went downhill. His niece and wife died the same year Principia was published. As Newton’s fame grew, Hooke’s declined. Hooke then took every opportunity to offend Newton. Hooke died the same year Newton was elected to be the president of the Royal Society, in 1703.
Principia raised Newton to an international level. Willingly or not he had to become more involved in public affairs. In 1689 he was elected to be Cambridge’s member in parliament. Newton then relocated to London. In London, became friends with John Locke, a political philosopher. Many scientists were still teaching Aristotle’s work, Locke was part of a group that learned everything from Newtons works. However, Newton fell into another nervous breakdown in 1693. The most probable cause of this was probably chronic mercury poisoning due to his many years working with alchemy. This caused many to lose respect in his works. In 1696, Newton was able to become the Warden of the Mint. He permanently moved to London and lived with his niece. In 1703, he was elected to be president of the Royal Society. In 1705, he was knighted by Queen Anne. When he reached the age of 80, Newton experienced digestion problems, he had to drastically had to change his diet. Then in March 1727, Newton had severe pain in his abdomen and lost consciousness. He then died the next day, at age 85. In his later life he was asked for an assessment of his achievements, he replied, “I do not know what I may appear to the world; but to myself I seem to have been only like a boy playing on the seashore, and diverting myself now and then finding a smoother pebble or prettier shell than ordinary, while the great ocean of truth lay all undiscovered before me.”