Alexis Claude Clairaut | |
|---|---|
 Alexis Claude Clairaut | |
| Born | 13 May 1713[1] Paris, France |
| Died | 17 May 1765 (aged 52) Paris, France |
| Nationality | French |
| Known for | Clairaut's theorem Clairaut's theorem on equality of mixed partials Clairaut's equation Clairaut's relation Apsidal precession |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Mathematics |
Alexis Claude Clairaut (French: [alɛksi klod klɛʁo]; 13 May 1713 – 17 May 1765) was a French mathematician, astronomer, and geophysicist. He was a prominent Newtonian whose work helped to establish the validity of the principles and results that Sir Isaac Newton had outlined in the Principia of 1687. Clairaut was one of the key figures in the expedition to Lapland that helped to confirm Newton's theory for the figure of the Earth. In that context, Clairaut worked out a mathematical result now known as "Clairaut's theorem". He also tackled the gravitational three-body problem, being the first to obtain a satisfactory result for the apsidal precession of the Moon's orbit. In mathematics he is also credited with Clairaut's equation and Clairaut's relation.
- ^ Other dates have been proposed, such as 7 May, which Judson Knight and the Royal Society report. Here is a discussion and argument for 13 May. Courcelle, Olivier (17 March 2007). "13 mai 1713(1): Naissance de Clairaut". Chronologie de la vie de Clairaut (1713-1765) (in French). Retrieved 26 April 2018.