Blaise Pascal


                    Born On: 19 June 1623    Famous 19th June Birthdays
                    Born In: Clermont-Ferrand,, Auvergne, France
                    Died On: 19 August 1662
                    Place Of Death: Paris, France
                    Nationality: French
                    Religion: Roman Catholic
                    Main interest : Theology , Mathematics , Physics, Philosophy
                    Notable ideas : Pascal's Wager
                                               Pascal's triangle
                                               Pascal’s law
                                               Pascal’s Theorem   
                  Discoveries / Inventions: Hydraulic Press, Syringe
                 Achievements: Invented mechanical calculator, hydraulic press 
B laise Pascal was a French mathematician, physicist, inventor, writer and Catholic philosopher. He did pioneering works in calculating machines and came up with the mechanical calculator. He was an influential mathematician and made significant researches in areas like projective geometry and probability theory. He also made important contribution in arithmetic triangle and cycloid. Along with Fermat, Pascal came up with the calculus of probabilities, which later led to the foundation of mathematical theory of probabilities. He also worked in natural and applied sciences and made important contributions in concepts like fluids, pressure and vacuum. Honoring his works and contributions, his name Pascal has been made the SI unit of pressure and also a programming language. His other notable contributions include Pascal's law, Pascal's triangle and Pascal's wager. His religious works, "Lettres provinciales and the Pensees" had a religious influence all over France and created a new level of style in French prose.

Contribution InMathematics & Science

Pascal always remained an influential mathematician throughout his life. His convenient tabular presentation of binomial coefficients described in his Traité du triangle arithmétique, released in 1653, later became famous as Pascal’s triangle. In 1654, following a friend,the Chevalier de Méré’s interest in gambling problem, Pascal discussed this subject with Fermat, which later led to the foundation of mathematical theory of probabilities. One of the gambling problems was of two players who wanted to finish a game early, and given the then condition of the game, wanted to share the stakes fairly, based on the fact that each player had equal chances of winning the match from that point. In this context, Pascal used a probabilistic argument also known as Pascal's wager. The work done by Pascal and Fermat later helped Leibniz formulate infinitesimal calculus. Pascal also made important contribution to the philosophy of mathematics with his works like De l'Esprit géométrique and De l'Art de persuader.

Pascal contribution to the physical sciences includes his works in fields of hydrodynamics and hydrostatics which were mostly based on hydraulic principles. He also had the credit of inventing syringe and hydraulic press. Following the views of Galileo and Torricelli, he opposed the Aristotelian notion which says that a creation is a thing of substance, whether visible or invisible. He advocated the presence of vacuum in substances. He said that it is the vacuum which keeps the mercury floating in a barometer and even fills the space above the mercury in the tube. In his work in 1647, “Experiences nouvelles touchant le vide” he gave more experiments regarding his statement on vacuum. These experiments performed by Pascal were praised throughout the Europe and established his principle and also the value of barometer.