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Isaac Barrow (1630 - 1677) - Biography - MacTutor History of Mathematics

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Thomas married Ann, daughter of William Buggin of North Cray, Kent in <span class="non-italic">1624</span> and their son Isaac was born in <span class="non-italic">1630</span>. Ann died in <span class="non-italic">1634</span> and Thomas sent Isaac to live with his grandfather. Perhaps there is truth in the frequently quoted saying that Isaac's father:- <blockquote>... was heard to pray that should God decide to take one of his children, he could best spare Isaac.</blockquote> Thomas remarried within two years and it is suggested in <span><span class="non-italic">[</span><a class="reference" data-popup='&lt;span class="markup"&gt;P H Osmond, &lt;em&gt;Isaac Barrow His Life and Times&lt;/em&gt; &lt;span class="non-italic"&gt;(&lt;/span&gt;London, &lt;span class="non-italic"&gt;1944)&lt;/span&gt;.&lt;/span&gt;' href="#reference-5"><span class="non-italic">5</span></a><span class="non-italic">]</span></span> that this may have been an attempt to get his son back from his father, who was said to be spoiling young Isaac. <br/> <br/> Thomas planned for Isaac to become a scholar while still a child. He sent Isaac to Charterhouse and paid twice the regular fee to get special attention for Isaac. However Isaac did not receive this attention and acquired the reputation as a bully while his education suffered. When Thomas heard of this, he transferred Isaac to Felstead, Essex in <span class="non-italic">1640</span> where the headmaster had a reputation for strict discipline. Here Isaac made rapid progress, both in developing his character and in learning. At Felstead Barrow learnt Greek, Latin, Hebrew and logic in preparation for University. After he had been at Felstead for two years, Isaac's father incurred losses of £<span class="non-italic">1000</span> due to the Irish rebellion and was unable to pay Isaac's fees. However, the headmaster, realising Isaac's potential, took him in and later appointed him as a tutor to Thomas Fairfax. <br/> <br/> In <span class="non-italic">1643</span> Barrow was admitted as a foundation scholar at Peterhouse, Cambridge. His uncle was a Fellow of Peterhouse at the time and when his uncle lost his post due to his Royalist views, Barrow went to Oxford where his brother had become the King's Linen Draper. However there was an uprising against Royalty and Oxford came under siege. <br/> <br/> In <span class="non-italic">1644</span> Barrow went to London where he was supported by Thomas Fairfax. However, Fairfax soon ran out of money and left Isaac destitute. Barrow accompanied a former school friend, who promised to support him, to Trinity College, Cambridge. Barrow enrolled in <span class="non-italic">1646</span> and performed menial duties in return for instruction with poor board and lodging. His friend supported him for six months before he left but, by this time, the siege of Oxford had ended and Barrow made contact with his father who helped support him. <br/> <br/> Duport, the Regius Professor of Greek at Cambridge, tutored Barrow without taking any fees, both due to Barrow's talent and that both were royalists. Under Duport, Barrow studied Greek, Latin, Hebrew, French, Spanish, Italian, literature, chronology, geography and theology. Also at Cambridge at this time it was usual for students to learn some mathematics, either in their second or third year. Barrow studied arithmetic, geometry and optics and, like all students of the time, was encouraged not to specialise in a subject such as mathematics before graduating. <br/> <br/> Barrow graduated in <span class="non-italic">1649</span> and successfully competed for a college fellowship in the same year. He gave a speech in which he praised the teaching of the classics but criticised the lack of mathematics and science. He started studying mathematics in depth immediately after his graduation. His enthusiasm and willingness to teach enabled him to attract enough people to the subject to help begin to lay the foundations for studying mathematics at Cambridge. <br/> <br/> Barrow was considered to be the ring leader of a group of royalists from <span class="non-italic">1648</span>. However, in <span class="non-italic">1649</span>, Barrow declared himself to be <span><span class="non-italic">[</span><a class="reference" data-popup='&lt;span class="markup"&gt;P H Osmond, &lt;em&gt;Isaac Barrow His Life and Times&lt;/em&gt; &lt;span class="non-italic"&gt;(&lt;/span&gt;London, &lt;span class="non-italic"&gt;1944)&lt;/span&gt;.&lt;/span&gt;' href="#reference-5"><span class="non-italic">5</span></a><span class="non-italic">]</span></span>:- <blockquote>... true and faithful to the Commonwealth of England as the same is now established, without a King or House of Lords.</blockquote> However he soon went back on this declaration but was saved from expulsion by the Master. Two years later Barrow again faced expulsion due to a speech he made on the anniversary of the Gunpowder Plot. The Master again came to his rescue by telling the Fellows who demanded his expulsion <span><span class="non-italic">[</span><a class="reference" data-popup='&lt;span class="markup"&gt;M Feingold &lt;span class="non-italic"&gt;(&lt;/span&gt;ed.&lt;span class="non-italic"&gt;)&lt;/span&gt;, &lt;em&gt;Before Newton : the life and times of Isaac Barrow&lt;/em&gt; &lt;span class="non-italic"&gt;(&lt;/span&gt;Cambridge- New York, &lt;span class="non-italic"&gt;1990)&lt;/span&gt;.&lt;/span&gt;' href="#reference-4"><span class="non-italic">4</span></a><span class="non-italic">]</span></span>:- <blockquote>Barrow is a better man than any of us.</blockquote> In <span class="non-italic">1652</span> Barrow graduated with his M.A. In <span class="non-italic">1654</span> he defended the University in a speech in which he spoke of the importance of learning Greek, Latin and literature for the purpose of acquiring a firm basis for learning. He also praised the advances the University had made in subjects such as Arabic, modern languages such as French, Spanish and Italian, mathematics and science. He ended his speech requesting <span><span class="non-italic">[</span><a class="reference" data-popup='&lt;span class="markup"&gt;P H Osmond, &lt;em&gt;Isaac Barrow His Life and Times&lt;/em&gt; &lt;span class="non-italic"&gt;(&lt;/span&gt;London, &lt;span class="non-italic"&gt;1944)&lt;/span&gt;.&lt;/span&gt;' href="#reference-5"><span class="non-italic">5</span></a><span class="non-italic">]</span></span>:- <blockquote>... fellow students to persevere in the study and practice of moral philosophy.</blockquote> Barrow had taken an oath to study divinity when he was admitted as a fellow, and, after briefly studying medicine, he began studying divinity again. His study of church history led him to astronomy which in turn led him to study geometry. He taught himself geometry, writing a simplified edition of <a class="mlink" data-popup="../Euclid/popup/" href="../Euclid/">Euclid</a>'s <em>Elements</em> which was printed in <span class="non-italic">1655</span> and remained the standard textbook for half a century. <br/> <br/> During this period Barrow was appointed to the college lectureship in Humanity. When the professorship in Greek became available it was expected that Barrow would be appointed to replace Duport who had been forced to leave the chair on political grounds. However Barrow was told that he did not have enough experience in teaching and was not well-travelled enough to receive the position. The real reason was almost certainly Barrow's political views. <br/> <br/> In <span class="non-italic">1655</span> Barrow set sail for France, after he had received an award for travelling from the University. The conditions of the award were that he would receive £<span class="non-italic">16</span> per year for three years, and would have to report by letter to Cambridge on his learning and progress. Barrow spent the first ten months in Paris where he reported that he was rather disappointed in that the University was not nearly as impressive as he had been expecting. Apart from <a class="mlink" data-popup="../Roberval/popup/" href="../Roberval/">Roberval</a> there were few mathematicians from whom he could learn. In February of <span class="non-italic">1656</span> he went to Florence, where he remained for eight months. This was longer than he had originally planned but he was unable to visit Rome due to an outbreak of the plague there. <br/> <br/> While in Florence Barrow spent much of his time in the Medici Library where there was a great collection of coins. Barrow later used the expertise he had acquired to act as a collector of coins and medals for a London merchant who helped Barrow with much needed finance. While in Florence, Barrow met Carolo Renaldini who was writing a paper on algebra. He also met <a class="mlink" data-popup="../Viviani/popup/" href="../Viviani/">Vincenzo Viviani</a>, <a class="mlink" data-popup="../Galileo/popup/" href="../Galileo/">Galileo</a>'s last pupil. Barrow then set sail for Turkey but his ship came under attack from pirates. Barrow landed at Smyrna where he spent seven months. After his stay in Smyrna he went to Constantinople where he remained a year and a half with the English Ambassador. Despite failing to keep in contact with Cambridge, as set out in the conditions of his award, Barrow was granted an extension. While in Constantinople Barrow spent much time studying divinity and in particular the local Greek Church. In some financial difficulty, Barrow began his return journey at the end of <span class="non-italic">1658</span>. On the journey home the ship docked at Venice where it caught fire and all Barrow's possessions were lost. He then headed back through Germany and Holland, arriving in Cambridge in September <span class="non-italic">1659</span>. <br/> <br/> When he arrived back at Cambridge there had been many political changes due to the restoration of Charles II. The Professor of Greek voluntarily resigned in recognition that there were others who were better suited to the position - one of these people being Barrow himself. Duport was offered the post that he had been forced out of six years earlier, but he declined the offer. This left the way open for Barrow who, with no opposition, was elected to the position that many felt he should have had years before. As Professor he received £<span class="non-italic">40</span> per year and was not allowed to hold any other positions inside the College or University. He could not receive any income from his College Fellowship which made his financial position very difficult. Barrow campaigned for professors to receive benefits from their College Fellowships, if they held one, and his campaign was successful. In his annual speech after his first year he encouraged students to concentrate on their own private study and not on the lectures <span><span class="non-italic">[</span><a class="reference" data-popup='&lt;span class="markup"&gt;P H Osmond, &lt;em&gt;Isaac Barrow His Life and Times&lt;/em&gt; &lt;span class="non-italic"&gt;(&lt;/span&gt;London, &lt;span class="non-italic"&gt;1944)&lt;/span&gt;.&lt;/span&gt;' href="#reference-5"><span class="non-italic">5</span></a><span class="non-italic">]</span></span>:- <blockquote>Continue to stay at home, if you are wise, and apply yourselves to your private studies. Turn over the choicest books you possess or take shelter in the pleasing shade of the library. Muffle yourselves in your snug blankets or sit by your cosy fireside. Consider your health and study at your own convenience.</blockquote> Barrow's interest in mathematics and his small income made the position of Professor of Geometry at Gresham College, London appear very attractive when it became vacant in <span class="non-italic">1662</span>. He could also hold this chair while continuing as Professor of Greek at Cambridge. He was elected in mid-summer <span class="non-italic">1662</span> on a salary of £<span class="non-italic">50</span> per year. At Gresham he taught geometry for two hours a week, one hour in English and the other in Latin. Barrow took his duties very seriously. He intended publishing these lectures, but he lent them to a friend who subsequently lost them. Topics covered included 'projection of spheres' and 'perspectives'. <br/> <br/> Barrow became one of <span class="non-italic">150</span> scientists who were elected a Fellow of the <a class="aclink" href="../../Societies/RS/" rel="noreferrer" target="_blank">Royal Society</a> on <span class="non-italic">20</span> May <span class="non-italic">1663</span> at one of the first meetings of the Society. However his contribution to the <a class="aclink" href="../../Societies/RS/" rel="noreferrer" target="_blank">Society</a> was minimal and this could well have been influenced by the relation of the <a class="aclink" href="../../Societies/RS/" rel="noreferrer" target="_blank">Society</a> to the universities. The <a class="aclink" href="../../Societies/RS/" rel="noreferrer" target="_blank">Society</a> tried to appoint him to the Astronomical and Optical Committee and to the committee responsible for <span><span class="non-italic">[</span><a class="reference" data-popup='&lt;span class="markup"&gt;M Feingold &lt;span class="non-italic"&gt;(&lt;/span&gt;ed.&lt;span class="non-italic"&gt;)&lt;/span&gt;, &lt;em&gt;Before Newton : the life and times of Isaac Barrow&lt;/em&gt; &lt;span class="non-italic"&gt;(&lt;/span&gt;Cambridge- New York, &lt;span class="non-italic"&gt;1990)&lt;/span&gt;.&lt;/span&gt;' href="#reference-4"><span class="non-italic">4</span></a><span class="non-italic">]</span></span>:- <blockquote>... collecting the phenomena of nature hitherto observed and all experiments made and recorded.</blockquote> However this did not increase his contribution and, with his dues unpaid, the <a class="aclink" href="../../Societies/RS/" rel="noreferrer" target="_blank">Society</a> considered expelling him. <br/> <br/> In the summer of <span class="non-italic">1663</span> the position as Lucasian Professor of Mathematics was created at Cambridge thanks to an endowment left by Henry Lucas. Barrow was an obvious choice for this position and he relinquished the Greek chair for the mathematics because, he explained, of his greater interest in mathematics than Greek, because less work was involved, and that it had always been his intention to hold the Greek chair temporarily. <br/> <br/> In the spring of <span class="non-italic">1664</span> Barrow delivered the first six of his mathematics lectures which consisted of basic material. In the autumn he delivered nine more lectures and, in the spring of <span class="non-italic">1665</span> the first five of his geometrical lectures. After giving a short course on <a class="mlink" data-popup="../Archimedes/popup/" href="../Archimedes/">Archimedes</a> which consisted of four lectures the University had to close due to the plague. When it re-opened in April <span class="non-italic">1666</span> Barrow delivered another eight lectures but after June there was another outbreak of the plague. The university re-opened for the second time in Easter <span class="non-italic">1667</span> when he gave further geometry lectures before delivering his optics lectures in the <span class="non-italic">1668</span>-<span class="non-italic">9</span> session. <a class="mlink" data-popup="../Newton/popup/" href="../Newton/">Isaac Newton</a> attended these lectures and had many private discussions with Barrow about the work. <a class="mlink" data-popup="../Newton/popup/" href="../Newton/">Newton</a> took much encouragement from these sessions with Barrow and they influenced his work greatly. <br/> <br/> <a class="mlink" data-popup="../Collins/popup/" href="../Collins/">John Collins</a> published most of Barrow's lectures: <em>Lectiones Opticae</em> <span><a class="translation nonoscript non-italic" data-popup='&lt;span class="markup"&gt;Lectures on optics&lt;/span&gt;'>Ⓣ</a><noscript><span class="non-italic">(</span><span class="markup">Lectures on optics</span><span class="non-italic">)</span></noscript></span> was published in <span class="non-italic">1669</span>, <em>Lectiones Geometricae</em> <span><a class="translation nonoscript non-italic" data-popup='&lt;span class="markup"&gt;Lectures on geometry&lt;/span&gt;'>Ⓣ</a><noscript><span class="non-italic">(</span><span class="markup">Lectures on geometry</span><span class="non-italic">)</span></noscript></span> in <span class="non-italic">1670</span> and <em>Lectiones Mathematicae</em> <span><a class="translation nonoscript non-italic" data-popup='&lt;span class="markup"&gt;Lectures on mathematics&lt;/span&gt;'>Ⓣ</a><noscript><span class="non-italic">(</span><span class="markup">Lectures on mathematics</span><span class="non-italic">)</span></noscript></span> in <span class="non-italic">1683</span>. Barrow did not prepare his work for publishing, <a class="mlink" data-popup="../Newton/popup/" href="../Newton/">Newton</a> and others undertook this task. Most of Barrow's mathematics had been done over the years <span class="non-italic">1663</span> to <span class="non-italic">1669</span>. A look at these three books shows the extent of his work. <em>Lectiones Mathematicae</em> were lectures designed to revive interest in mathematics at Cambridge while trying to point it in a new direction by introducing modern techniques. He tried to classify the different branches of mathematics arguing that algebra is not part of true mathematics and should be considered to be logic while <span><span class="non-italic">[</span><a class="reference" data-popup='&lt;span class="markup"&gt;P H Osmond, &lt;em&gt;Isaac Barrow His Life and Times&lt;/em&gt; &lt;span class="non-italic"&gt;(&lt;/span&gt;London, &lt;span class="non-italic"&gt;1944)&lt;/span&gt;.&lt;/span&gt;' href="#reference-5"><span class="non-italic">5</span></a><span class="non-italic">]</span></span>:- <blockquote>Geometry is the basic mathematical science, for it includes arithmetic, and mathematical numbers are simply the signs of geometrical magnitude.</blockquote> In the later lectures he covered such topics as divisibility, congruence, equality, time and space. The final lectures cover measurement, proportion and ratio. <br/> <br/> The <em>Lectiones Geometricae</em> probably represent work which Barrow studied while at Gresham. They contain the important work on <a class="gllink" data-popup="../../Glossary/tangent/" href="../../Glossary/#tangent">tangents</a> which was to form the starting point of <a class="mlink" data-popup="../Newton/popup/" href="../Newton/">Newton</a>'s work on the calculus. Barrow stated the main two aims were <span><span class="non-italic">[</span><a class="reference" data-popup="&lt;span class=&quot;markup&quot;&gt;M S Mahoney, Barrow's mathematics : between ancients and moderns, in &lt;em&gt;Before Newton&lt;/em&gt; &lt;span class=&quot;non-italic&quot;&gt;(&lt;/span&gt;Cambridge, &lt;span class=&quot;non-italic&quot;&gt;1990)&lt;/span&gt;, &lt;span class=&quot;non-italic&quot;&gt;179&lt;/span&gt;-&lt;span class=&quot;non-italic&quot;&gt;249&lt;/span&gt;.&lt;/span&gt;" href="#reference-15"><span class="non-italic">15</span></a><span class="non-italic">]</span></span>:- <blockquote>... first, to investigate tangents without the trouble or wearisomeness of calculation and, second, to determine the dimensions of many magnitudes quite quickly by means of their tangents ...</blockquote> The <em>Lectiones Opticae</em> were more theoretical than practical, which was unusual for his time. The content is mainly geometrical optics and he states the main problem which the lectures are aimed at answering <span><span class="non-italic">[</span><a class="reference" data-popup='&lt;span class="markup"&gt;M Feingold &lt;span class="non-italic"&gt;(&lt;/span&gt;ed.&lt;span class="non-italic"&gt;)&lt;/span&gt;, &lt;em&gt;Before Newton : the life and times of Isaac Barrow&lt;/em&gt; &lt;span class="non-italic"&gt;(&lt;/span&gt;Cambridge- New York, &lt;span class="non-italic"&gt;1990)&lt;/span&gt;.&lt;/span&gt;' href="#reference-4"><span class="non-italic">4</span></a><span class="non-italic">]</span></span>:- <blockquote>To define the image of a point after any reflection in a plane and spherical surface ...</blockquote> In <span class="non-italic">1669</span> Barrow resigned from the Lucasian Chair and did no further mathematical work. This allowed <a class="mlink" data-popup="../Newton/popup/" href="../Newton/">Newton</a> to take over. Barrow was appointed as Royal Chaplain to Charles II at Salisbury in <span class="non-italic">1670</span>, then, in February <span class="non-italic">1673</span>, Charles II awarded Barrow the Mastership of Trinity declaring him to be the best scholar in England. While Master of Trinity, Barrow was occupied with two major issues. The first of these was to limit the amount of Royal interventions and secondly the building of the Wren library. On the first of these issues he had some success while on the second he spent much time and effort on generating interest in the project and the necessary funds. However he did not live to see the result of this work. In April of <span class="non-italic">1677</span> Barrow travelled to London where he contracted malignant fever. He tried to cure it by fasting and taking opium, a formula which had previously worked for him while ill in Constantinople. However he died and was buried a few days later at Westminster Abbey.</span> </div> </div> <hr /> <div class="row mt-2"> <div class="col-md-12"> <a href="quotations/" >Quotations by Isaac Barrow</a > <br /> <a href="../../Countries/England/" >Other Mathematicians born in England</a > <br /> <a href="poster/lived/" >A Poster of Isaac Barrow</a > </div> </div> <hr/> <div class="row"> <div class="col-md-12"> <h3>References <span class="nonoscript">(<a href="#" id="references-toggle">show</a>)</span></h3> </div> </div> <div class="row" id="references-list"> <div class="col-md-12"> <ol name="references"> <li id="reference-1"><span class="markup">D T Whiteside, Biography in <em>Dictionary of Scientific Biography</em> <span class="non-italic">(</span>New York <span class="non-italic">1970</span>-<span class="non-italic">1990)</span>. <br/> See <a href="http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G2-2830900277.html">THIS LINK</a>.</span></li> <li id="reference-2"><span class="markup">Biography in <em>Encyclopaedia Britannica.</em> <br/> <a href="http://www.britannica.com/biography/Isaac-Barrow">http://www.britannica.com/biography/Isaac-Barrow</a></span></li> <li id="reference-3"><span class="markup">V I Arnol'd, <em>Huygens and Barrow, Newton and Hooke. Pioneers in mathematical analysis and catastrophe theory from evolvents to quasicrystals</em> <span class="non-italic">(</span>Basel, <span class="non-italic">1990)</span>.</span></li> <li id="reference-4"><span class="markup">M Feingold <span class="non-italic">(</span>ed.<span class="non-italic">)</span>, <em>Before Newton : the life and times of Isaac Barrow</em> <span class="non-italic">(</span>Cambridge- New York, <span class="non-italic">1990)</span>.</span></li> <li id="reference-5"><span class="markup">P H Osmond, <em>Isaac Barrow His Life and Times</em> <span class="non-italic">(</span>London, <span class="non-italic">1944)</span>.</span></li> <li id="reference-6"><span class="markup">A G Azpeitia, Isaac Barrow <span class="non-italic">(</span>Spanish<span class="non-italic">)</span>, <em>Gac. Mat., Madrid</em> <span class="non-italic">(1)</span> <strong><span class="non-italic">9</span></strong> <span class="non-italic">(1956)</span>, <span class="non-italic">123</span>-<span class="non-italic">129</span>.</span></li> <li id="reference-7"><span class="markup">W N Charman, New light on Isaac Barrow's 'Optical lectures', <em>The Optician</em> <span class="non-italic">(1988)</span>, <span class="non-italic">34</span>-<span class="non-italic">39</span>.</span></li> <li id="reference-8"><span class="markup">M Feingold, Newton, Leibniz, and Barrow too : an attempt at a reinterpretation, <em>Isis</em> <strong><span class="non-italic">84</span></strong> <span class="non-italic">(2)</span> <span class="non-italic">(1993)</span>, <span class="non-italic">310</span>-<span class="non-italic">338</span>.</span></li> <li id="reference-9"><span class="markup">M Feingold, Isaac Barrow : divine, scholar, mathematician, in <em>Before Newton</em> <span class="non-italic">(</span>Cambridge, <span class="non-italic">1990)</span>, <span class="non-italic">1</span>-<span class="non-italic">104</span>.</span></li> <li id="reference-10"><span class="markup">M E Flashman, Historical motivation for a calculus course : Barrow's theorem, in <em>Vita mathematica</em> <span class="non-italic">(</span>Washington, DC, <span class="non-italic">1996)</span>, <span class="non-italic">309</span>-<span class="non-italic">315</span>.</span></li> <li id="reference-11"><span class="markup">K Hill, Neither ancient nor modern : Wallis and Barrow on the composition of continua. II. The seventeenth-century context : the struggle between ancient and modern, <em>Notes and Records Roy. Soc. London</em> <strong><span class="non-italic">51</span></strong> <span class="non-italic">(1)</span> <span class="non-italic">(1997)</span>, <span class="non-italic">13</span>-<span class="non-italic">22</span>.</span></li> <li id="reference-12"><span class="markup">K Hill, Neither ancient nor modern : Wallis and Barrow on the composition of continua. I. Mathematical styles and the composition of continua, <em>Notes and Records Roy. Soc. London</em> <strong><span class="non-italic">50</span></strong> <span class="non-italic">(2)</span> <span class="non-italic">(1996)</span>, <span class="non-italic">165</span>-<span class="non-italic">178</span>.</span></li> <li id="reference-13"><span class="markup">S H Hollingdale, Isaac Barrow <span class="non-italic">(1630</span>-<span class="non-italic">1677)</span>, <em>Bull. Inst. Math. Appl.</em> <strong><span class="non-italic">13</span></strong> <span class="non-italic">(11</span>-<span class="non-italic">12)</span> <span class="non-italic">(1977)</span>, <span class="non-italic">258</span>-<span class="non-italic">262</span>.</span></li> <li id="reference-14"><span class="markup">R Kargon, Newton, Barrow and the hypothetical physics, <em>Centaurus</em> <strong><span class="non-italic">11</span></strong> <span class="non-italic">(1)</span> <span class="non-italic">(1965</span>/<span class="non-italic">66)</span>, <span class="non-italic">46</span>-<span class="non-italic">56</span>.</span></li> <li id="reference-15"><span class="markup">M S Mahoney, Barrow's mathematics : between ancients and moderns, in <em>Before Newton</em> <span class="non-italic">(</span>Cambridge, <span class="non-italic">1990)</span>, <span class="non-italic">179</span>-<span class="non-italic">249</span>.</span></li> <li id="reference-16"><span class="markup">A Malet, Barrow, Wallis, and the remaking of seventeenth century indivisibles, <em>Centaurus</em> <strong><span class="non-italic">39</span></strong> <span class="non-italic">(1)</span> <span class="non-italic">(1997)</span>, <span class="non-italic">67</span>-<span class="non-italic">92</span>.</span></li> <li id="reference-17"><span class="markup">H Pycior, Mathematics and philosophy : Wallis, Hobbes, Barrow and Berkeley, <em>Journal of the History of Ideas</em> <strong><span class="non-italic">48</span></strong> <span class="non-italic">(1987)</span>, <span class="non-italic">265</span>-<span class="non-italic">287</span>.</span></li> <li id="reference-18"><span class="markup">C Sasaki, The acceptance of the theory of proportion in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. Barrow's reaction to the analytic mathematics, <em>Historia Sci.</em> <strong><span class="non-italic">29</span></strong> <span class="non-italic">(1985)</span>, <span class="non-italic">83</span>-<span class="non-italic">116</span>.</span></li> <li id="reference-19"><span class="markup">A A Tuyakbaeva, On the investigation of the scientific heritage of Isaac Barrow <span class="non-italic">(</span>Russian<span class="non-italic">)</span>, in <em>Proc. Second Kazakhstan Interuniv. Sci. Conf. Math. Mech</em> <span class="non-italic">(</span>Alma- Ata, <span class="non-italic">1968)</span>, <span class="non-italic">248</span>-<span class="non-italic">252</span>.</span></li> <li id="reference-20"><span class="markup">A A Tuyakbaeva, The concept of the definite integral of Isaac Barrow <span class="non-italic">(17</span>th century<span class="non-italic">)</span> <span class="non-italic">(</span>Russian<span class="non-italic">)</span>, in <em>Some problems in functional analysis, differential equations and their applications</em> <span class="non-italic">(</span>Alma Ata, <span class="non-italic">1985)</span>, <span class="non-italic">74</span>-<span class="non-italic">79</span>, <span class="non-italic">111</span>-<span class="non-italic">112</span>.</span></li> </ol> </div> </div> <hr/> <div class="row"> <div class="col-md-12"> <h3>Additional Resources <span class="nonoscript">(<a href="#" id="additional-toggle">show</a>)</span></h3> </div> </div> <div class="row" id="additional-list"> <div class="col-md-6"> <p>Other pages about Isaac Barrow:</p> <ol name="additional"> <li><a href="../../Obituaries/Barrow_Aubrey/"><span class="markup">Aubrey's Brief Lives</span></a></li> <li><a href="../../Bookpages/Barrow7b.gif"><span class="markup">An extract from <em>Lectiones geometricae </em> <span class="non-italic">(1670)</span></span></a></li> <li><a href="../../Bookpages/Barrow7a.gif"><span class="markup">... and a diagram from the same work</span></a></li> <li><a href="../../Gaz/Barrow/"><span class="markup">Multiple entries in <em>The Mathematical Gazetteer of the British Isles</em>,</span></a></li> <li><a href="../../Strick/barrow.pdf"><span class="markup">Heinz Klaus Strick biography</span></a></li> </ol> </div> <div class="col-md-6"> <p>Other websites about Isaac Barrow:</p> <ol name="otherweb"> <li><a href="http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G2-2830900277.html" target="_blank"><span class="markup">Dictionary of Scientific Biography</span></a></li> <li><a href="http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/1541" target="_blank"><span class="markup">Dictionary of National Biography</span></a></li> <li><a href="http://www.britannica.com/biography/Isaac-Barrow" target="_blank"><span class="markup">Encyclopaedia Britannica</span></a></li> <li><a href="http://galileo.rice.edu/Catalog/NewFiles/barrow.html" target="_blank"><span class="markup">The Galileo Project</span></a></li> <li><a href="http://www.maths.tcd.ie/pub/HistMath/People/Barrow/RouseBall/RB_Barrow.html" target="_blank"><span class="markup">Rouse Ball</span></a></li> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20070415133555/http://www.lucasianchair.org/barrow.html" target="_blank"><span class="markup">Bob Bruen</span></a></li> <li><a href="http://www.math.tamu.edu/~don.allen/history/precalc3/precalc3.html" target="_blank"><span class="markup">G Don Allen</span></a></li> <li><a href="http://www.genealogy.math.ndsu.nodak.edu/id.php?id=67643" target="_blank"><span class="markup">Mathematical Genealogy Project</span></a></li> <li><a href="http://www.ams.org/mathscinet/MRAuthorID/31725" target="_blank"><span class="markup">MathSciNet Author profile</span></a></li> </ol> </div> </div> <hr /> <div class="row"> <div class="col-md-12"> <h3> Honours <span class="nonoscript">(<a href="#" id="honours-toggle">show</a>)</span> </h3> </div> </div> <div class="row" id="honours-list"> <div class="col-md-12"> <p>Honours awarded to Isaac Barrow</p> <ol name="honours"> <li><a href="../../Honours/FRS/"><span class="markup">Fellow of the Royal Society <span class="non-italic">1663</span></span></a></li> <li><a href="../../Honours/Lucasian/"><span class="markup">Lucasian Professor <span class="non-italic">1664</span></span></a></li> <li><a href="../../Honours/LunarFeatures0/"><span class="markup">Lunar features <strong>Crater Barrow</strong></span></a></li> <li><a href="../../Honours/Aubrey/"><span class="markup">Biography in Aubrey's <em>Brief Lives</em></span></a></li> <li><a href="../../Miscellaneous/Popular/"><span class="markup">Popular biographies list Number <span class="non-italic">191</span></span></a></li> </ol> </div> </div> <hr /> <div class="row"> <div class="col-md-12"> <h3> Cross-references <span class="nonoscript">(<a href="#" id="xrefs-toggle">show</a>)</span> </h3> </div> </div> <div class="row" id="xrefs-list"> <div class="col-md-12"> <ol name="xrefs"> <li><a href="../../HistTopics/The_rise_of_calculus/">History Topics: <span class="markup">A history of the calculus</span></a></li> <li><a href="../../HistTopics/History_overview/">History Topics: <span class="markup">An overview of the history of mathematics</span></a></li> <li><a href="../../HistTopics/U_of_St_Andrews_History/">History Topics: <span class="markup">Mathematics in St Andrews to <span class="non-italic">1700</span></span></a></li> <li><a href="../../Curves/Right/">Famous Curves: Right Strophoid</a></li> <li><a href="../../Miscellaneous/messages/01-29/">Other: 29th January</a></li> <li><a href="../../Miscellaneous/messages/07-31/">Other: 31st July</a></li> <li><a href="../../Gaz/Cambridge_Colleges/">Other: Cambridge Colleges</a></li> <li><a href="../../Gaz/Cambridge_Individuals/">Other: Cambridge Individuals</a></li> <li><a href="../../Gaz/Cambridge_professorships/">Other: Cambridge professorships</a></li> <li><a href="../../Miller/mathword/b/">Other: Earliest Known Uses of Some of the Words of Mathematics (B)</a></li> <li><a href="../../Miller/mathword/c/">Other: Earliest Known Uses of Some of the Words of Mathematics (C)</a></li> <li><a href="../../Miller/mathword/e/">Other: Earliest Known Uses of Some of the Words of Mathematics (E)</a></li> <li><a href="../../Miller/mathword/f/">Other: Earliest Known Uses of Some of the Words of Mathematics (F)</a></li> <li><a href="../../Miller/mathword/h/">Other: Earliest Known Uses of Some of the Words of Mathematics (H)</a></li> <li><a href="../../Miller/mathword/i/">Other: Earliest Known Uses of Some of the Words of Mathematics (I)</a></li> <li><a href="../../Miller/mathword/q/">Other: Earliest Known Uses of Some of the Words of Mathematics (Q)</a></li> <li><a href="../../Miller/mathword/r/">Other: Earliest Known Uses of Some of the Words of Mathematics (R)</a></li> <li><a href="../../Miller/mathword/s/">Other: Earliest Known Uses of Some of the Words of Mathematics (S)</a></li> <li><a href="../../Gaz/London_Learned_Societies/">Other: London Learned Societies</a></li> <li><a href="../../Gaz/London_Schools/">Other: London Schools</a></li> <li><a href="../../Gaz/London_Scientific_Institutions/">Other: London Scientific Institutions</a></li> <li><a href="../../Gaz/London_individuals_A-C/">Other: London individuals A-C</a></li> <li><a href="../../Miscellaneous/Popular/">Other: Most popular biographies – 2024</a></li> <li><a href="../../Gaz/London_central_institutions/">Other: Other Institutions in central London</a></li> </ol> </div> </div> <hr /> <div class="row"> <div class="col-md-12"> Written by <span class="markup">J J O'Connor and E F Robertson</span> <br /> Last Update June 1998 </div> </div> <!-- END MAIN BODY --> </main> <!--noindex--> <footer class="site-footer mt-3 pb-3 pt-3 pt-md-0"> <div class="row"> <div class="cr-footer col-md-4"> DJF/JOC/EFR<br /> <a href="../../Miscellaneous/copyright/" >Copyright information</a ><br /> <a href="../../Miscellaneous/accessibility/" >Accessibility statement</a > </div> <div class="links-footer col-md-6"> <a href="https://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/mathematics-statistics/" target="_blank" >School of Mathematics and Statistics</a > <br /> <a href="http://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/" target="_blank" >University of St Andrews, Scotland</a > </div> <div class="col-md-2"> <img src="../../static/img/st-andrews-logo.png?h=e46f195e" alt="University of St. Andrews logo" /> </div> </div> <hr /> <div class="row"> <div class="col-md-12"> If you have comments, or 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