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Christiaan Huyghens

Christiaan Huygens
Christiaan Huygens.jpg
Christiaan Huygens by Caspar Netscher, Museum Hofwijck, Voorburg
Born (1629-04-14)14 April 1629
The Hague, Dutch Republic
Died 8 July 1695(1695-07-08) (aged 66)
The Hague, Dutch Republic
Residence Netherlands, France
Nationality Dutch
Fields Physics
Mathematics
Astronomy
Horology
Institutions Royal Society of London
French Academy of Sciences
Alma mater University of Leiden
University of Angers
Known for Titan
Explanation of Saturn's rings
Centrifugal force
Collision formulae
Pendulum clock
Huygens–Fresnel principle
Wave theory
Huygens' engine
Birefringence
Evolute
Huygenian eyepiece
31 equal temperament musical tuning
Huygens–Steiner theorem
Influences Galileo Galilei
René Descartes
Frans van Schooten
Influenced Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz
Isaac Newton

Christiaan Huygens, FRS (/ˈhɡənz/ or /ˈhɔɪɡənz/; Dutch: [ˈɦœyɣə(n)s]) (Latin: Hugenius) (14 April 1629 – 8 July 1695) was a prominent Dutch mathematician and scientist. He is known particularly as an astronomer, physicist, probabilist and horologist.

Huygens was a leading scientist of his time. His work included early telescopic studies of the rings of Saturn and the discovery of its moon Titan, the invention of the pendulum clock and other investigations in timekeeping. He published major studies of mechanics and optics (having been one of the most influential proponents of the wave theory of light), and pioneered work on games of chance.

Christiaan Huygens was born on 14 April 1629 in The Hague, into a rich and influential Dutch family, the second son of Constantijn Huygens. Christiaan was named after his paternal grandfather. His mother was Suzanna van Baerle. She died in 1637, shortly after the birth of Huygens' sister. The couple had five children: Constantijn (1628), Christiaan (1629), Lodewijk (1631), Philips (1632) and Suzanna (1637).


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