William Brouncker, 2nd Viscount Brouncker

William Brouncker, 2nd Viscount Brouncker FRS (* 1620 in Castle Lyons, Ireland, † April 5, 1684 in Westminster) was an Irish mathematician and 1660 founding member of the Royal Society in London.

Life and work

Brouncker received his education at Oxford. He is known for his work on continued fractions and on the calculation of logarithms, infinite series. He also produced some solutions of the Pell equation x2 1 = y 2 a.

On 28 November 1660, he was one of a dozen scientists who met at Gresham College in London. There was the Society for the Promoting of Physico - Mathematical Experimental Learning to promote experimental philosophy founded. On July 15, 1662, the Company received a royal statute, by she received the "Great Seal" and thus became the " Royal Society of London ." Brounckner was 1662-1677 President of the Royal Society.

Brounckers formula

1655 was Brouncker a continued fraction representation for the inverse of: