John Colson

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John Colson
Born 1680
Died 20 January 1760, aged 80
Cambridge
Nationality United Kingdom
Fields Mathematics
Institutions University of Cambridge
Alma mater Christ Church, Oxford
Known for Signed-digit representation

John Colson (1680–1760) was an English clergyman and mathematician, Lucasian Professor of Mathematics at Cambridge University.

Life

John Colson was educated at Lichfield School before becoming an undergraduate at Christ Church, Oxford, though he did not take a degree there. He became a schoolmaster at Sir Joseph Williamson's Mathematical School in Rochester, and was elected Fellow of the Royal Society in 1713. He was Vicar of Chalk, Kent from 1724 to 1740. He came to Cambridge and lectured at Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge. [1] From 1739 to 1760 he was Lucasian Professor of Mathematics. He was also Rector of Lockington, Yorkshire.[2]

Works

In 1726 he published his Negativo-Affirmativo Arithmetik advocating a modified decimal system of numeration. It involved "reduction [to] small figures" by "throwing all the large figures 9,8,7,6 out of a given number, and introducing in their room the equivalent small figures 1{\bar  {1}},1{\bar  {2}},1{\bar  {3}},1{\bar  {4}} respectively".

John Colson translated several of Isaac Newton's works into English, including De Methodis Serierum et Fluxionum in 1736.[1]

See also

Notes

  1. 1.0 1.1 Cooper 1887.
  2. "Colson, John (CL728J2)". A Cambridge Alumni Database. University of Cambridge. 

References

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