Mathematician:Marin Mersenne
Mathematician
French theologian, philosopher, mathematician and music theorist.
Most famous for his work with Mersenne primes.
Claimed in $1644$ that the only primes $p \le 257$ for which $2^p - 1$ is prime are $2, 3, 5, 7, 13, 17, 19, 31, 67, 127$ and $257$. Considering the tools he had at his disposal, he was uncannily accurate.
The first to determine the speed of sound through air.
Founded the informal Académie Parisienne, in which he acted not only as the unofficial chairman, but also as the corresponding secretary.
Considered by many to be the "father of acoustics" from the work he did investigating the nature of sound.
The first to determine the frequency of a specific musical note.
Inspired the invention of the pendulum clock.
Nationality
French
History
- Born: September 8, 1588, Oizé in Maine, France
- 17 July 1611: Joined the Minim Friars
- 1613: Ordained a priest
- 1614 -- 1618: Taught theology and philosophy at Nevers
- 1620: Returned to Paris to settle at the convent of L'Annonciade
- 1635: Established the Académie Parisienne
- Died: September 1, 1648, Paris, France
Theorems and Definitions
Results named for Marin Mersenne can be found here.
Definitions of concepts named for Marin Mersenne can be found here.
Publications
- 1623: Quaestiones celeberrimae in Genesim
- 1623: L'usage de la raison
- 1623: L'analyse de la vie spirituelle
- 1624: L'Impieté des déistes
- 1624: La Vérité des sciences
- 1626: Synopsis mathematica
- 1627: Harmonie Universelle
- 1634: Questions inouyes
- 1634: Questions harmoniques
- 1644: Cogitata Physico-Mathematica
- 1651: L'optique et la catoptrique (posthumous)
Critical View
- There is more in Mersenne than in all the universities together.
Sources
- 1937: Eric Temple Bell: Men of Mathematics ... (previous) ... (next): Chapter $\text{III}$: Gentleman, Soldier and Mathematician
- 1986: David Wells: Curious and Interesting Numbers ... (previous) ... (next): A List of Mathematicians in Chronological Sequence
- 1986: David Wells: Curious and Interesting Numbers ... (previous) ... (next): $127$
- 1989: Ephraim J. Borowski and Jonathan M. Borwein: Dictionary of Mathematics ... (previous) ... (next): Mersenne numbers or Mersenne primes
- 1991: David Wells: Curious and Interesting Geometry ... (previous) ... (next): A Chronological List Of Mathematicians
- 1992: George F. Simmons: Calculus Gems ... (previous) ... (next): Chapter $\text {A}.12$: Mersenne ($\text {1588}$ – $\text {1648}$)
- 1997: David Wells: Curious and Interesting Numbers (2nd ed.) ... (previous) ... (next): A List of Mathematicians in Chronological Sequence
- 1997: David Wells: Curious and Interesting Numbers (2nd ed.) ... (previous) ... (next): $127$
- 1998: David Nelson: The Penguin Dictionary of Mathematics (2nd ed.) ... (previous) ... (next): Mersenne, Marin (1588-1648)
- 2008: David Nelson: The Penguin Dictionary of Mathematics (4th ed.) ... (previous) ... (next): Mersenne, Marin (1588-1648)
- 2008: Ian Stewart: Taming the Infinite ... (previous) ... (next): Chapter $7$: Patterns in Numbers: Euclid
- 2014: Christopher Clapham and James Nicholson: The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Mathematics (5th ed.) ... (previous) ... (next): Mersenne, Marin (1588-1648)