Biography of a Mathematician: Sir Isaac Newton Essay

Sir Isaac Newton has made an impact on scientists to this day. Even though his discoveries derived in the late 1600s, we are still affected today in the present. The ideals and theorems he sought out still hold legitimate centuries after his time. With the information laid out for them, a scientists using his theories can improve their research to achieve fame themselves. â€Å"Some would say that he was the greatest product of the Enlightenment, the explosion of intellectual knowledge that occurred in his century† (Universe Today). What did Isaac Newton discover to go down in history as prestige in both the historical and modern world? According to BBC, Newton was an English physicist and mathematician, and the greatest scientist of his era. However, before it’s understood why Sir Isaac Newtown became so famous, it is very important to know how he got to that point. By doing so, understanding his early and later life experiences is key. â€Å"Isaac Newton was born on 4 January 1643 in Woolsthorpe, Lincolnshire. His father was a prosperous farmer, who died three months before Newton was born. His mother remarried and Newton was left in the care of his grandparents† (BBC). As it can be seen, Isaac Newton lived a rather challenging youth by being separated by his primary care takers to his grandparents. Once he became of age to attend college, he became fascinated in mathematics, astronomy, optics, and physics. An education to fulfill these interests is exactly what he required. In 1661, he enrolled into Cambridge University. Howbeit, â€Å"In October 1665, a plague epidemic forced the university to close and Newton returned to Woolsthorpe† (BBC). Although attending the University for a short time, the two years benefited him extremely in beginning to charm him of the idea about gravity. In addition, he also focused on optics and mathematics, where current day calculus was just a mere idea of little to no importance. Not giving up his aspire to make a little idea into a dream, Newton returned to Cambridge in 1667, where he became a fellow of Trinity College. He was appointed to two very importance groups that exposed him to the scientific community. Just two years after returning to Cambridge he was appointed second Lucasian professor of mathematics at 27. He was then named in membership of the Royal Society 4 years later. In 1668, the development of his reflecting telescope only proved that Newton’s findings will leave an impact on history forever. Following his  education at Cambridge University, Newton wished to share his recent findings. Therefore publishing ‘The Opticks’ which dealt with light and colour. â€Å"In addition he studied and published works on history, theology and alchemy† (BBC). Then in 1687, â€Å"with the support of his friend the astronomer Edmond Halley, Newton published his single greatest work, the ‘Philosophiae Naturalis Principia Mathematica’ (‘Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy’)† (BBC). This showed his findings of the law of gravity. Subsequent to his discoveries and sharing them, Newton achieved many appointments. â€Å"In 1689, Newton was elected member of parliament for Cambridge University (1689 – 1690 and 1701 – 1702). In 1696, Newton was appointed warden of the Royal Mint, settlin g in London. In 1703, he was elected president of the Royal Society, an office he held until his death. He was knighted in 1705.† (BBC). His life story ended in 1727. According to BBC, It was said Newton was a difficult man, prone to depression and often involved in bitter arguments with other scientists, but by the early 1700s he was the dominant figure in British and European science. Now that a baseline of his life has been established, it can now be understood as to why Sir Isaac Newtown left such a mark on areas of science and mathematics. In regards to the field of science, Newton found a quantity of laws and theories that helped future scientists make their way into space. â€Å"He discovered gravitational force and established the three Universal Laws of Motion. By tying these discoveries to the work Johannes Kepler and his Laws of Planetary motion, he established classic mechanics the beginning of modern Physics. This was huge in many ways as he proved definitively the heliocentric model first proposed by Copernicus.† (Universe Today) On top of all this he proved that all things in the universe revolve around the laws of motion. The laws of motion formed a footing for our understanding of the universe. This is a leap in science for his time and to this day. Newton’s gains in the field of mathematics were just as relevant.† He came up with the Binomial Theorem and was one of the two creators of calculus.† (Universe Today) These findings served as jump in the fields of math and science. Now calculations can that more accurately modeled than before. In regards to space, without the ideas and betterment in mathematics, scientists would be clueless of how to safely get into space. â€Å"Calculus gave scientist the tools to set up a theoretical model of a situation and still  account for varying factors. This basic knowledge would help scientist such as Einstein to be ab le make even greater discoveries such as the Theory of Relativity and Nuclear Fission† (Universe Today). With no doubt, Sir Isaac Newton has made an impact on scientists to this day. From break through from his time to laying out laws that still affect scientists and mathematicians today, the world’s technological systems would be nothing without Newton’s advances. The world is constantly improving in terms of military, aviation, and the civilian life. With the baseline formed by Isaac Newtown, scientists are able to progress towards new discoveries and fame that the future holds. Works Cited â€Å"Isaac Newton (1643 – 1727).† BBC News. BBC, n.d. Web. 18 Mar. 2014. Jessa, Tega. â€Å"What Did Isaac Newton Discover?† Universe Today RSS. N.p., 05 Sept. 2009. Web. 20 Mar. 2014.