François Viète
François Viète | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1540 |
| Died | 23 February 1603 (aged 62–63) Paris, Kingdom of France |
| Other names | Franciscus Vieta |
| Education | University of Poitiers (LL.B., 1559) |
| Known for | New algebra (the first symbolic algebra) Vieta's formulas Viète's formula |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Astronomy, mathematics (algebra and trigonometry) |
| Notable students | Alexander Anderson |
| Signature | |
François Viète (French: [fʁɑ̃swa vjɛt]; 1540 – 23 February 1603), known in Latin as Franciscus Vieta, was a French mathematician whose work on new algebra was an important step towards modern algebra, due to his innovative use of letters as parameters in equations. Because of this, Viète is sometimes called "the father of modern algebraic notation". He was a lawyer by trade, and served as a privy councillor to both Henry III and Henry IV of France.