| Authorised form of name | Fatio de Duillier; Nicolas (1664 - 1753); mathematician and natural philosopher |
| Other forms of name | Nicolas Fatio de |
| Nicolas Fatio |
| Faccio de Duillier, Nicolas |
| Faccio, Nicolas |
| Other forms of surname | Duillier |
| De Dullier |
| Dates | 1664 - 1753 |
| Nationality | Swiss |
| Place of birth | Basel, Switzerland, Europe |
| Date of birth | 16 February 1664 |
| Place of death | Maddersfield, Worcester, England, United Kingdom, Europe |
| Date of death | c. May 1753 |
| Occupation | Virtuoso |
| Research field | Mathematics |
| Astronomy |
| Anatomy |
| Activity | Education:
Geneva Academy (now University of Geneva)
Career:
Enrolled a citizen of Geneva (1678); originally intended to enter the Protestant ministry but later left to his own devices; corresponded with Gian Domenico Cassini (FRS 1672); went to Paris (1682); was informed of a plot to kidnap the Prince of Orange, which he revealed to Gilbert Burnet (FRS 1664) and they both went to Holland to tell the Prince; offered a chair of mathematics by the Prince of Orange in The Hague, but instead went to England; Tutor to the eldest son of Sir William Ellis, with whom he went to Utrecht (1690); returned to London (1691) where he taught mathematics; in Switzerland (1699-1701); involved himself in the dispute over calculus between Isaac Newton (FRS 1672) and Gottfried Wilhelm von Leibniz (FRS 1673); associated himself with the Camisards and was prosecuted for spreading 'wicked and counterfeit prophecies' (1707); went on an expedition to convert people to his religion, travelling through Germany and into Asia before returning to England; retired to Worcester |
| Membership category | Fellow |
| Date of election | 02/05/1688 |
| Age at election | 24 |
| Proposer | Sir John Hoskins |
| Other Royal Society activity | Had a letter on least resistance published in the 'Philosophical Transactions' (1713), which was related to his controversy with Jakob Bernoulli |
| Relationships | Parents: Jean-Baptiste Faccio and Catherine Barbauld
Siblings: Jean Christophe Fatio (FRS 1706) |
| Published works | RCN: 38885 |
| General context | Fatio initiated correspondence with Jean Dominique Cassini on astronomy, in particular the rings of Saturn and the sun and the moon. His alterations to Cassini's ideas were later published. Throughout the course of his travels, Fatio made the acquaintance of Robert Boyle (FRS 1663), John Wallis (FRS 1663), and Christiaan Huygens (FRS 1663), and he was engaged in extensive scientific correspondence. Along with his brother, Jean-Christophe Fatio (FRS 1706), he undertook trigonometrial measurements of Mont Blanc. He was also interested in watch design with jewels, perpetual motion, and horticulture, to name a few. He was considered Newton's protégé of sorts and his view of Leibniz as having plagiarised Newton's work led to the infamous Newton-Leibniz controversy around calculus. |
| Related images | Discover a selection of related images in our picture library |
| Sources | Sources:
Bulloch's Roll; DNB; Hunter; ODNB; HLS (Historical Dictionary of Switzerland)
References:
Keynes, M. 1995. 'The Personality of Isaac Newton', in Notes and Records, vol. 49, pp. 1-56
Kidwell, P. 1983. 'Nicholas Fatio de Duillier and "Fruit-Walls Improved": Natural Philosophy, Solar Radiation, and Gardening in Late Seventeenth Century England', in Agricultural History, vol. 57(4), pp.403-415
McGuire, J E and Rattansi, P M. 1966. 'Newton and the "Pipes of Pan"', in Notes and Records, vol. 21, pp. 108-143
Notes:
Election date is taken from Hunter. In both R and index to BR, no precise election date is given, simply '? 1687'. HLS has 10 May 1753 as date of death. ODNB has 28 April as date of burial. |
| Virtual International Authority File | http://viaf.org/viaf/52480802 |
| Royal Society code | NA8422 |