Died ca 1768
unknown Name Edmund Stone | Fields Mathematics | |
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Edmund Stone was an autodidact mathematician from Scotland in the 18th century.
Life and work
Practically nothing is known about the life of Edmund Stone. He was the son of the gardener of John Campbell, 2nd Duke of Argyll. He learned reading, Latin, French and mathematics by himself. The Duke, knowing his abilities, protected him.
Under the Duke's protection, Stone arrived in London in 1723 and published his first book: Treatise on Mathematical Instruments. In 1725 he was elected fellow of the Royal Society.
In the following years he published some papers in the Philosophical Transactions,. His book A New Mathematical Dictionary appeared in 1726). His Mathematical Dictionary is drawn in part from the Latin versions of the mathematical works of the German philosopher Christian Wolff.
He also published a translation into English of Euclid's Elements (London: 1728) and The Method of Fluxions, both Direct and Inverse (London: 1730). The first part of the Method of Fluxions is a translation of the book by L'Hopital.
From 1743, the death of the Duke, he seems to have lived in absolute poverty.