Boole, George (1815–1864)

George Boole
George Boole

George Boole was born in the county of Lincolnshire England on November 2, 1815. He was mostly self-taught in mathematics, and in particular studied the works of Pierre Simon Laplace and Joseph-Louis Lagrange at an early age. Boole was appointed to the chair of mathematics at Queens College in 1849, and taught there for the rest of his life. He was elected as a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1857.

Boole is best known for his work in logic and probability, although he also made important contributions in differential and difference equations. His most important book, An investigation into the Laws of Thought, on Which are founded the Mathematical Theories of Logic and Probabilities, was published in 1854, and established symbolic logic as a branch of mathematics. Boolean algebra now finds nearly universal application in computer science, communications, and related areas. In addition, Boole wrote Treatise on Differential Equations in 1859 and Treatise on the Calculus of Finite Differences in 1860.

Boole died in 1864 at the age of 49.

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