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unusual facts about William Brouncker, 2nd Viscount Brouncker



Robert Moray

The twelve in attendance were an interesting mix of four Royalists (William Brouncker, 2nd Viscount Brouncker, Alexander Bruce, 2nd Earl of Kincardine, Sir Paul Neile, William Balle) and six Parliamentarians (John Wilkins, Robert Boyle, Jonathan Goddard, William Petty, Lawrence Rook, Christopher Wren) and two others with less fixed (or more flexible) views, Abraham Hill and Moray.

William Brouncker, 2nd Viscount Brouncker

Brouncker was born in Castlelyons, County Cork, the elder son of William Brouncker, 1st Viscount Brouncker and Winifred, daughter of Sir William Leigh of Newnham.

He was the first in England to take interest in generalized continued fractions and, following the work of John Wallis, he provided development in the generalized continued fraction of pi.

He was appointed one of the Commissioners of the Navy in 1664 and his career can be traced in the Diary of Samuel Pepys; despite frequent disagreements Pepys on the whole respected Brouncker more than most of his other colleagues.


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