Bernouilli James

Bernouilli, James, mathematician, was born December 27, 1654, at Basel. Though destined by his father for the church he developed a passion for mathematics, and soon distinguished himself in this science. On returning in 1682 from a visit to England, where he met Boyle, Hooke, Stillingfleet, and other distinguished men of science, he opened in Basel a seminary for the teaching of experimental physics. In 1687 he became professor of mathematics in the University of Basel, whither through his influence foreign students were attracted. He and his brother John (q.v.) were the first two foreigners that were appointed associates of the Paris Academy of Sciences; and by the special request of Leibnitz they were made members of the Berlin Academy. In 1696 a problem he proposed relative to the properties of isoperimetrical figures led to a quarrel between the brothers, John being held to have evinced jealousy at James's superiority. By his triumphs in the severe science he is esteemed as worthy to be ranked with Newton and Leibnitz. Among his published works were A Method of teaching Mathematics to the Blind, Universal Tables on Dialling, Conamen Novi Systematis Cometarum, De Gravitate AEtheris, etc. He also wrote verses in French, German, and Latin. He died in 1705, and on his tomb, as he requested, the logarithmic spiral was engraven with the inscription, Eadem mutata resurgo.