John Wallis

John Wallis , 1616-1703, English mathematician. He was Savilian professor of geometry at Oxford from 1649. He systematized the use of formulas, introduced the symbol ∞ for infinity, and made a study of the quadrature of curves, which he recorded in Arithmetica infinitorum (1655). His collected mathematical works appeared in three volumes (1693-99). He wrote also on grammar, logic, theology, and cryptography.

Wallis, John (1616–1703). Mathematician, grammarian, and founder member of the Royal Society. A Cambridge graduate, from 1649 he was Savilian professor of geometry at Oxford. During the Civil War he worked on codes for the parliamentary side. In a famous controversy, he showed that Thomas Hobbes had failed to square the circle; he was also involved in other disputes with contemporaries. He was an important participant in scientific groups meeting during the Interregnum, which were the nucleus for the Royal Society, founded in 1660. In 1652 Wallis published his study of English grammar. He was an important and influential mathematician, producing books on arithmetic (especially series), geometry, algebra, and mechanics. He invented our symbol for infinity, translated Greek works, including some of Archimedes, and wrote an interesting memoir of his own life.

David Knight