Thomas Baker (mathematician) facts for kids
Thomas Baker (born around 1625, died 1689) was an English mathematician. He is famous for finding a new way to solve certain types of math problems called biquadratic equations.
Thomas Baker's Life Story
Thomas Baker started studying at Magdalen Hall, Oxford, in 1640. He was about fifteen years old then. Even though his education was very strict, he still managed to help the king's side in Oxford a little bit.
Later, he became a religious leader, or 'minister', in a town called Bishop's Nympton in Devon. He officially became the vicar there in 1681. But it seems he lived in that quiet place for many years before that, perhaps working as a curate.
Baker loved studying math in his free time. He said he wasn't a professional mathematician. He just enjoyed studying it for fun when he had a moment to spare.
His Famous Math Book
In 1684, Thomas Baker published his most important book. It was called The Geometrical Key, or Gate of Equations Unlocked. This book showed his special way of solving math problems.
That same year, he was chosen to be a Fellow of the Royal Society. This is a big honor for scientists and mathematicians.
Baker's Math Discoveries
Baker's main idea was to solve biquadratic equations. These are math problems where the highest power of a number is four (like x to the power of 4). He solved them using a geometric method. This means he used shapes to find the answers.
His method involved drawing a parabola (a U-shaped curve) and a circle. The points where these two shapes crossed gave him the solutions to the equations.
His way was different from another famous mathematician, Descartes. Baker's method didn't need an extra step to simplify the equation first. He explained his method in great detail in his book. He believed that being very clear was more helpful than being too short or brief. Some information about his work can be found in the Transactions of the Royal Society.
Other Math Ideas
Thomas Baker also had plans for more math books. There was a list of his other math works. The Royal Society even approved a plan to print them. However, these books were never actually published.
