Maupertuis

[moh-per-twee]

noun

1. Pierre Louis Moreau de 1698–1759, French mathematician, astronomer, and biologist.

Maupertuis

/ mopɛrtɥi /

noun

1. Pierre Louis Moreau de (pjɛr lwi mɔro də). 1698–1759, French mathematician, who originated the principle of least action (or Maupertuis principle)

Example Sentences

It had obvious defects: it could not, for example, explain the inheritance of characteristics from the father; in 1752 Maupertuis showed that polydactylism could be inherited in the male as well as the female line.

From Literature

In particular he explained the principle of least action, first advanced by P. L. M. de Maupertuis, and developed by Sir W. R. Hamilton, of quaternion fame.

From Project Gutenberg

Maupertuis's Latin city remained an idle wish.

From Project Gutenberg

As he grew older, however, his social successes ceased, and he began to dream of more lasting distinctions, stimulated by the success of Maupertuis as a mathematician, of Voltaire as a poet, of Montesquieu as a philosopher.

From Project Gutenberg

The fit left him, and he rose, dressed himself, and sat down to table with Algarotti, Keizerling, Maupertuis, the ambassador to the states-general, and myself; where, at supper, we treated most profoundly on the immortality of the soul, natural liberty, and the Androgynes of Plato.”

From Project Gutenberg