Article ID: CBB001420231

Small Skills, Big Networks: Marin Mersenne as Mathematical Intelligencer (2013)

unapi

The essay explores how seventeenth-century French mathematician Marin Mersenne used his network of correspondents in the Republic of Letters to help himself become a trendsetting mathematician of the period. The author argues that his letter writing helped him become notable despite his limited mathematical abilities and helped create a flow of information across Europe. His correspondents included French mathematician René Descartes, Italian mathematician Galileo Galilei, and Dutch scientist Christiaan Huygens.

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Authors & Contributors
Bots, Hans
Rossini, Paolo
Weston, Robert
Taussig, Sylvie
Sugar, Gabrielle
Smith, Justin E. H.
Concepts
Correspondence and corresponding
Republic of Letters
Science and religion
Communication of scientific ideas
Mathematics
Astronomy
Time Periods
17th century
18th century
Early modern
16th century
Places
France
Italy
Europe
England
Netherlands
Switzerland
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