Rene Descartes

“Stay-in-Bed Scholar”
“Gentleman, Soldier, and
Mathematician”
Born on March 31, 1596
Died on February 11, 1650
 Childhood
 As a child was very weak and was
always sick.
 He had been picked on by bullies for it.
 He was inspired to do math by his
mother.
 Little did he know he would be affected
by not doing math as a child.
 Education
 He went Jesuit school of La Fleche in
Anjou, France at eight years old.
 He studied mathematics and Scholastic
philosophy.
 He studied law at the University of
Poitiers.
 He graduated from the University in
1616.
 He never practiced law.
 Accomplishments
 He graduated the University of
Poitiers.
 He changed math by dicovering the X
and Y axis.
 He wrote the book SEEKING THE
TRUTH IN THE SCIENCES. (1637)
 Descartes did not revise geometry;
he created it.
 A Sad Day in France
 Rene Descartes died February in
1650.
 The best known cause for his death
was from a cold.
 He died in Sweden at 5:00 am during
a philosophy session.
 He died in the castle of Cartesian
Christia.
 Bibliography
 Deal, Seymour. Mathematicians are
People, Too. pg- 35 to 43.
 “Descartes,” Encarta, Microsoft,
1997.
 Bells, ET. Men of Mathematics, pg-
35-55.