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| | Rene Descartes (1596 - 1650) |
 | | We may consider Descartes as the first of the modern school of mathematics. |
 | | René Descartes was born near Tours on March 31, 1596, and died at Stockholm on February 11, 1650; thus he was a contemporary of Galileo and Desargues. |
 | | His father, who, as the name implies, was of good family, was accustomed to spend half the year at Rennes when the local parliament, in which he held a commission as councillor, was in session, and the rest of the time on his family estate of Les Cartes at La Haye. |
| www.maths.tcd.ie /pub/HistMath/People/Descartes/RouseBall/RB_Descartes.html (2713 words) |
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