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Burritt, Elihu

(Encyclopedia)Burritt, Elihu, 1810–79, American reformer, b. New Britain, Conn. A blacksmith, he studied mathematics, languages, and geography and became known as “the learned blacksmith.” Profoundly idealist...

Posidonius

(Encyclopedia)Posidonius pōsēdōˈnēəs [key], c.135–c.51 b.c., Greek Stoic philosopher, b. Apamea, Syria. He settled in Rhodes after extensive travels. Noted for his learning, Posidonius gave new life to Stoi...

Freundlich, Erwin Finlay

(Encyclopedia)Freundlich, Erwin Finlay froindˈlĭkh [key], 1885–1964, German astronomer. Freundlich obtained a doctorate in mathematics at Göttingen, then joined the Royal Observatory at Berlin, where he worked...

plane

(Encyclopedia)plane, in mathematics, flat surface of infinite extent but no thickness. An example of a plane, or more exactly of a bounded portion of a plane, is the surface forming one face, or side, of a cube. A ...

National Defense Education Act

(Encyclopedia)National Defense Education Act (NDEA), federal legislation passed in 1958 providing aid to education in the United States at all levels, public and private. NDEA was instituted primarily to stimulate ...

Parisi, Giorgio

(Encyclopedia)Parisi, Giorgio, 1948–, Italian physicist, Ph.D. Sapienza University of Rome, 1970. Parisi is Professor of Theoretical Physics at Sapienza University....

Cauchy, Augustin Louis, Baron

(Encyclopedia)Cauchy, Augustin Louis, Baron ōgüstăNˈ lwē bärôNˈ kōshēˈ [key], 1789–1857, French mathematician. He was professor simultaneously (1816–30) at the École polytechnique, the Sorbonne, and...

Perry, William James

(Encyclopedia)Perry, William James, 1927–, U.S. government official, b. Vandergrift, Pa. A Ph.D. in mathematics, former Stanford engineering professor, and founder of a military electronics firm, he served (1977�...

Bartholin

(Encyclopedia)Bartholin bärˈtōlēn [key], renowned Scandinavian family. Kaspar Bartholin, 1585–1629, b. Sweden, was a Danish physician. He was professor of medicine and later of theology at the Univ. of Copenh...

Lambert, Johann Heinrich

(Encyclopedia)Lambert, Johann Heinrich yōˈhän hīnˈrĭkh lämˈbĕrt [key], 1728–77, German-French philosopher and scientist, b. Alsace. He developed many basic concepts in mathematics, including that of the ...