Mathematical Treasure: De Lagny’s Arithmetic and Algebra

Thomas Fanlet de Lagny (1660-1734) was a self-trained French mathematician who worked as a tutor of the subject for many years. He distinguished himself in computational mathematics and was also noted for his publications on mathematics. Eventually, de Lagny was elected to the French Academy of Sciences. His New Elements of Arithmetic and Algebra was published in 1697.

On pages 282-283, de Lagny discussed the use of “Pascal’s Triangle” in obtaining the numerical coefficients for a binomial expansion.

This material is obtained through the courtesy of the Peabody Library of Johns Hopkins University.

Index to Mathematical Treasures