Michel Rolle

   

Michel Rolle (April 21, 1652 - November 8, 1719) was a French mathematician. He is best known for Rolle's theorem (1691). He also invented the current standardized notation

<math>\sqrt[n]{x}<math>

to denote the <math>n<math>th root of <math>x<math>.

Life

Rolle was born in Ambert, Basse-Auvergne. In 1675, he moved from Ambert to Paris and was elected in 1785 to join the Académie Royale des Sciences and became a Pensionnaire Géometre of the Académie (1699). He had then already been given a pension by Jean-Baptiste Colbert after solving one of Jacques Ozanam's problems.

Rolle was an early critic of calculus; arguing that it was inaccurate and based upon unsound reasoning. He later changed his opinion.

Rolle died in Paris.

External link

  • Michel Rolle (http://www-gap.dcs.st-and.ac.uk/~history/Mathematicians/Rolle.html)



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