Pierre-Simon Laplace
1749–1827 · French · Enlightenment / Napoleonic Era
Known for: French Newton who developed mathematical astronomy, probability theory, and the nebular hypothesis
Laplace was the most ambitious mathematician-physicist of his era. He essentially completed Newton's program for the solar system, showing that all planetary motions could be explained by gravitation. When Napoleon asked why his book didn't mention God, Laplace replied: 'I had no need of that hypothesis.'
He also created probability theory as a mathematical discipline and proposed the nebular hypothesis for solar system formation.
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