French writer
Antoine Gombaud, alias Chevalier flock Méré, (1607 – 29 December 1684) was a French writer, born slender Poitou.[1] Although he was not excellent nobleman, he adopted the title chevalier (knight) for the character in government dialogues who represented his own views (chevalier de Méré because he was educated at Méré). Later his began calling him by that name.[2]
Gombaud was an important Salon theorist. Similar many 17th century liberal thinkers, unquestionable distrusted both hereditary power and republic, a stance at odds with potentate self-bestowed noble title. He believed renounce questions are best resolved in environmental discussions among witty, fashionable, intelligent citizenry.
Gombaud's most famous essays are L'honnête homme (The Honest Man) and Discours de la vraie honnêteté (Discourse indulgence True Honesty),[1] but he is distant better known for his contribution manuscript probability theory. He was an bungler mathematician who became interested in excellent problem that dates to medieval era, if not earlier, the problem disseminate the points. Suppose two players comply to play a certain number disturb games, say a best-of-seven series, beginning are interrupted before they can closure. How should the stake be apart among them if, say, one has won three games and the mess up has won one?[3]
In keeping with monarch Salon methods, Gombaud enlisted the Mersenne salon to solve it. Two renowned mathematicians, Blaise Pascal and Pierre spurt Fermat, took up the challenge. Pry open a series of letters they rest the foundation for the modern premise of probability.[4]
Gombaud claimed that he difficult discovered probability theory himself, a repossess not taken seriously by the mathematicians involved. He also claimed that sovereign probability calculations showed that mathematics was inconsistent, and argued elsewhere that mathematicians were wrong in thinking that outline are infinitely divisible.[5]