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Famous people of North Wales

William Jones, mathematician born in Llanfihangel Tre'r Beirdd, Anglesey, Wales

  • Person's Name: William Jones
  • Fame as?: Mathematician from Anglesey
  • Fame Hilite: The mathematician who gave the world the π symbol.
  • Death info: William died on the 3rd of July, 1749.
  • Birth info: William was born in 1675 in Llanfihangel Tre'r Beirdd, Anglesey.
  • Body Text 2:

    Jones is best remembered for introducing the symbol π for the ratio of a circle's circumference to its diameter in his 1706 book 'Synopsis Palmariorum Matheseos', a notation later popularised by Leonhard Euler and used ever since.

  • Career Highlights:
    • Career Highlight: Introduced the π symbol for pi (1706)
    • Career Highlight: Elected Fellow of the Royal Society, 1711
    • Career Highlight: Close friend of Isaac Newton and Edmond Halley
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  • External Profile Pic: https://www.famouswelsh.com/images/
  • Connection: Born and raised on Anglesey before moving to London
  • Related Material:
  • Location String: Llanfihangel Tre'r Beirdd, Anglesey, Wales
  • Connection Place Map: 53.3278,-4.3152
William Jones was a Welsh mathematician, born in 1675 in the parish of Llanfihangel Tre'r Beirdd on the Isle of Anglesey. His father, John George Jones, was a small farmer, and William's early mathematical talent was spotted while he attended a charity school in Llanfechell. The Bulkeley...