Christiaan Huygens FRS (/ˈhaɪɡənz, ˈhɔɪ-/ HY-gənz, HOY-; Dutch: [ˈɦœyɣə(n)s]; Latin: Hugenius; 14 April 1629 – 8 July 1695) was a Dutch physicist, mathematician, astronomer and inventor, who is widely regarded as one of the greatest scientists of all time and a major figure in the scientific revolution. In physics, Huygens made groundbreaking contributions in optics and mechanics, while as an astronomer he is chiefly known for his studies of the rings of Saturn and the discovery of its moon Titan. As an inventor, he improved the design of the telescope with the invention of the Huygenian eyepiece. His most famous invention, however, was the invention of the pendulum clock in 1656, which was a breakthrough in timekeeping and became the most accurate timekeeper for almost 300 years. Because he was the first to use mathematical formulae to describe the laws of physics, Huygens has been called the first theoretical physicist and the founder of mathematical physics.
In 1659, Huygens was the first to derive the now standard formula for the centripetal force in his work De vi centrifuga. The formula played a central role in classical mechanics and became known as the second of Newton’s laws of motion. Huygens was also the first to formulate the correct laws of elastic collision in his work De motu corporum ex percussione, but his findings were not published until 1703, after his death. In the field of optics, he is best known for his wave theory of light, which he proposed in 1678 and described in 1690 in his Treatise on Light, which is regarded as the first mathematical theory of light. His theory was initially rejected in favor of Isaac Newton’s corpuscular theory of light, until Augustin-Jean Fresnel adopted Huygens’ principle in 1818 and showed that it could explain the rectilinear propagation and diffraction effects of light. Today this principle is known as the Huygens–Fresnel principle.
More info at: Christiaan Huygens – Wikipedia
Additional Articles associated with this person’s firsts:
Name(s):
Christiaan Huygens
Occupation:
Physicist, Mathematician, Astronomer and Inventor
Birth:
April 14, 1629, The Hague, Netherlands
Death:
July 8, 1695, The Hague, Netherlands
Education:
Leiden University
Additional Information:
- Christiaan Huygens – Wikipedia
Christiaan Huygens FRS was a Dutch physicist, mathematician, astronomer and inventor, who is widely regarded as one of the greatest scientists of all time and … - Christiaan Huygens | Dutch scientist and mathematician | Britannica.com
Christiaan Huygens, also spelled Christian Huyghens, (born April 14, 1629, The Hague—died July 8, 1695, The Hague), Dutch mathematician, astronomer, and … - Christiaan Huygens (1629-1695) – University of St Andrews
Christiaan Huygens came from an important Dutch family. His father Constantin Huygens had studied natural philosophy and was a diplomat. It was through him … - Christiaan Huygens – Biography, Facts and Pictures – Famous Scientists
Christiaan Huygens was a mathematician, physicist and astronomer who formulated the wave theory of light. He also discovered the pendulum clock, … - Christiaan Huygens: Discoverer of Titan / ESA history / Welcome to …
Born in 1629, Huygens came from a wealthy and well-connected Dutch family, who served in the diplomatic service to the House of Orange. As a young boy he … - Christiaan Huygens – Stetson University
Christiaan Huygens came from an important Dutch family. His father was a diplomat. It was through him that Christiaan was to gain access to the top scientific … - Biography of Christiaan Huygens, Inventor of the Pendulum Clock
Apr 25, 2018 – Christiaan Huygens (April 14, 1629 – July 8, 1695), a Dutch natural scientist, was one of the great figures of the scientific revolution. While his … - Christiaan Huygens Biography – Space.com
Jun 8, 2012 – Dutch scientist Christiaan Huygens proposed the earliest theory about the nature of light, and he proposed Saturn was a ringed planet. - Christiaan Huygens – MacTutor History of Mathematics
Christiaan Huygens was a Dutch mathematician who patented the first pendulum clock, which greatly increased the accuracy of time measurement. He laid the … - Christiaan Huygens – Molecular Expressions – Florida State University
Christiaan Huygens was a brilliant Dutch mathematician, physicist, and astronomer who lived during the seventeenth century, a period sometimes referred to as …