DEMOIVRE (Abraham)

, a celebrated mathematician, of French original, but who spent most of his life in England. He was born at Vitri in Champagne 1667. The revocation of the edict of Nantz, in 1685, determined him, with many others, to take shelter in England; where he perfected his mathematical studies, the foundation of which he had laid in his own country. A mediocrity of fortune obliged him to employ his talent in this way in giving lessons, and reading public lectures, for his better support: in the latter part of his life too, he chiefly subsisted by giving answers to questions in chances, play, annuities, &c, and it is said most of these responses were delivered at a Coffee-house in St. Martin's lane, where he spent most of his time. The Principia Mathematica of Newton, which chance is said to have thrown in his way, soon convinced Demoivre how little he had advanced in the science he professed. This induced him to redouble his application; which was attended by a considerable degree of success; and he soon became connected with, and celebrated among, the first rate mathematicians. His eminence and abilities in this line, opened him an entrance into the Royal Society of London, and into the academies of Berlin and Paris. By the former his merit was so well known and esteemed, that they judged him a fit person to decide the famous contest between Newton and Leibnitz, concerning the invention of Fluxions.

The collection of the Academy of Paris contains no memoir of this author, who died at London Nov. 1754, at 87 years of age, soon after his admission into it. But the Philosophical Transactions of London have several, and all of them interesting, viz, in the volumes 19, 20, 22, 23, 25, 27, 29, 30, 32, 40, 41, 43.

He published also some very respectable works, viz,

1. Miscellanea Analytica, de Seriebus & Quadraturis &c; 1730, in 4to. But perhaps he has been more generally known by his

2. Doctrine of Chances; or, Method of Calculating the Probabilities of Events at Play. This work was first printed, 1718, in 4to, and dedicated to Sir Isaac Newton: it was reprinted in 1738, with great alterations and improvements; and a third edition was afterwards printed.

3. Annuities on Lives; first printed 1724, in 8vo.— In 1742 the ingenious Thomas Simpson (then only 33 years of age) published his Doctrine of Annuities and Reversions; in which he paid some handsome compliments to our author. Notwithstanding which, Demoivre presently brought out a second edition of his Annuities, in the preface to which he passed some harsh reflections upon Simpson. To these the latter gave a handsome and effectual answer, 1743, in An Appendix, containing some Remarks on a late book on the same subject, with answers to some persoual and malignant misrepresentations, in the preface thereof. At the end of this answer, Mr. Simpson concludes, “Lastly, I appeal to all mankind, whether, in his treatment of me, he has not discovered an air of self-sufficiency, ill-nature and inveteracy, unbecoming a gentleman.” Here it would seem the controversy dropped: Mr. Demoivre published the 3d edition of his book in 1750, without any farther notice of Simpson, but omitted the offensive reflections that had been in the preface.