Pierre Louis Maupertuis | |
|---|---|
 Maupertuis, wearing "lapmudes" from his Lapland expedition. With one hand he is pressing on the globe, making it oblate. Line engraving by J. Daullé, 1741, after R. Levrac-Tournières, 1737. | |
| Born | 1698 |
| Died | 27 July 1759 (aged 60) |
| Known for | Principle of least action, precursor of transmutation |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Mathematics, physics, biology, metaphysics, moral philosophy, astronomy, geography |
| Institutions | French Academy, Berlin Academy |
Pierre Louis Moreau de Maupertuis (/ˌmoʊpərˈtwiː/; French: [mopɛʁtɥi]; 1698 – 27 July 1759)[a] was a French mathematician, philosopher and man of letters. He became the Director of the Académie des Sciences, and the first President of the Prussian Academy of Science, at the invitation of Frederick the Great.
Maupertuis made an expedition to Lapland to determine the shape of the Earth. He is often credited with having invented the principle of least action; a version is known as Maupertuis's principle – an integral equation that determines the path followed by a physical system. His work in natural history is interesting in relation to modern science, since he touched on aspects of heredity and the struggle for life.
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