Mathematician, physicist and astronomer — Pierre-Simon de Laplace (Beaumont-en-Auge 1749 – Paris 1827) was a French mathematician, physicist and astronomer, nicknamed the «Newton of France». He lived through the Revolution, the Empire and the Restoration, holding important academic and political posts. His monumental work, the Mécanique céleste, demonstrated the stability of the Solar System by applying Newtonian mechanics to the motions of the planets. He made fundamental contributions to analysis (Laplace’s equation, the Laplace transform) and founded the modern mathematical theory of probability. He also formulated the nebular hypothesis on the origin of the Solar System and the outlook of scientific determinism.
Fun fact
When Napoleon pointed out that his work never mentioned God, Laplace is said to have replied: «Sire, I had no need of that hypothesis».
Theories and contributions
- Laplace’s equation — Fundamental equation for gravitational and electrostatic potentials in a vacuum: .
- Determinism (Laplace’s demon) — An intelligence that knew the positions and velocities of all particles could predict the entire future of the universe.
- Nebular hypothesis — The Solar System would have formed from the contraction and rotation of a primordial cloud of gas.
Present in chapters
Linked atoms
2 linked atoms.