A Mathematician, an astronomer, and a renowned geophysicist, Alexis Claude Clairaut was born on 13 May 1713 in Paris, France. He was born to then Mathematician Jean Clairaut and Catherine Petit Clairaut. His father was a conceptual Mathematics teacher and taught him, which kept his standards as high as anyone could wonder.
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Newton’s principles were the basis for Alexis’ reports and study. He was one of the most critical Newtonians who helped Sir Newton establish the validity of the principles.
He came with a mathematical result that was later on known as Claircut’s theorem.
Childhood and Early Life
The Parents of Alexis had 20 children, but only a few amongst them survived. Alexis was a perfect example of a child prodigy then. Because of his father’s guidance and tutelage, he had good command over calculus; he also wrote a memoir on four geometrical curves.
He made significant progress in his forte. By the age of sixteen, he could finish a treatise on Tortuous Curves. It enabled his admission into the Royal Academy of Sciences. Although, minimum eligibility was eighteen years.
His Contributions in Various Field
1. Contribution in the Field of Analytic Geometry
Alexis coined general equations for 3-D figures such as cylinders, cones, and surfaces of revolution. As per Britannica, Newton claimed that all plane cubics arise from those in this third standard form by projection between planes. Clairut later on concluded this in 1731.
2. Contribution in the Field of Astronomy
It was controversial how three bodies, Earth, Moon, and Sun, have attraction to each other. Two more mathematicians, Euler and d’Alembert were also in the race of giving explanations to this controversy and argued against Newtonian laws to solve the three-body problem.
Clairaut was felicitated with the prize of St Petersburg Academy for his essay Theorie de la Lune. The essay was based on Newtonian.
3. The Shape of Earth Theory
With Pierre Louis Maupertuis‘ help in 1973, he took the initiative by taking part in the expedition to Lapland, purposed to estimate a degree of Median arc. The aim was to measure the shape of the Earth. He worked on the principle coined by Sir Issac Newton and closely analyzed it. Sir Issac Newton was in a view that the Earth is having ellipsoid shape.
The issues include calculating gravitational attraction, the rotation of an ellipsoid on its axis, and the difference in ellipsoid density on its axes.
Personal Life and Death
Clairaut led a social life. Also, he remained unmarried throughout his life. Though he led a fulfilling social life, he was essential in learning of young mathematicians.
Also, He was elected as a fellow of the Royal Society of London on 27 October 1737. Alexis left for the heavenly abode in the year 1765.
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