Between 1643 and 1689 Wallis served as chief cryptographer for Parliament and, later, the royal court. He extended Cavalieri's method of indivisibles through the use of interpolation. Applying Kepler's principle of continuity, he developed techniques for the evaluation of integrals. He is credited with introducing the symbol ∞ to represent the concept of infinity. He similarly used 1/∞ for an infinitesimal. He was a contemporary of Isaac Newton and one of the greatest intellectuals of the early modern mathematics.
Key Facts
- Born: December 3, 1616 in Ashford, Kent, England
- Died: 1703
- Field: Mathematics
Legacy and Impact
The influence of John Wallis extends far beyond their own lifetime. They fundamentally shaped the foundations of modern mathematics, and their theorems and mathematical frameworks remain foundational to this day.
Though they passed away in 1703, their ideas continue to be studied, debated, and built upon by scholars and practitioners worldwide.
John Wallis remains one of the most celebrated minds to emerge from England, a testament to the rich intellectual heritage of the region.
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