Blaise Pascal – France, 1623-1662
Pascal was born in 1623 and was almost immediately recognized for his brilliance. He began publishing treaties at the age of eleven, about abstract geometry, and he built one of the first mechanical calculators (it could only add and subtract) at the age of eighteen. His largest contribution to math was creating Pascal’s Triangle, a triangular-shaped pattern of numbers, where the next number is made by adding the two numbers above it. Pascal used it to promote his theories in probability. In fact, it was Pascal who first began to use probabilities to calculate the “expected outcome” of an event. Later in life, Pascal gave up math and studied theology, devoting his life to God.
Question of the Week: Pascal used probability to try to “prove” the existence of God. What is the name of this famous theory?