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Georges-Louis Leclerc, Comte de Buffon (1707-1788) |
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Proposal Number Sense Interactive Quiz Lesson Plans History Problem Bank Glossary Quotes Helpful Links References
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In 1723, a year after his
mother’s death, he pursued many interests due to the flexibility his
inheritance gave him. He
dabbled in mathematics, physics, botany, and chemistry.
During this time period, he wrote numerous papers, conducted a
study of probability, and a study of the physics of Isaac Newton.
During the later years of his life, Buffon concentrated on his
scientific interests. For
48 years, he dedicated his time and energy compiling a comprehensive
history of all the natural sciences.
This tremendous achievement was a forty-four volume work entitled
Historie naturelle, générale et particulière.
Buffon died at the age of 81 in Paris, France (Magil, 1989).
Buffon created an example of
geometrical probability in 1777, which interested many people.
This may explain the use of this problem in classrooms today, as
well. This method of
calculation is called Buffon’s Needle.
This method allows individuals to approximate the numerical value
of Additional
Links: Activity
#4: Explore "Buffon's Needle" applet by Michael Hurben. Picture reproduced from MacTutor History of Mathematics archive with permission. |
