William Emerson (14 May 1701 - 20 May 1782), English mathematician, was born at Hurworth, near Darlington, where his father, Dudley Emerson, also a mathematician, taught a school. Unsuccessful as a teacher, he devoted himself entirely to studious retirement, and published many works which are singularly free from errata. In mechanics he never advanced a proposition which he had not previously tested in practice, nor published an invention without first proving its effects by a model. He was skilled in the science of music, the theory of sounds, and the ancient and modern scales; but he never attained any excellence as a performer. He died on 20 May 1782 at his native village. May 14 is the 134th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (135th in leap years). ... Events January 18 - Frederick I becomes King of Prussia. ... May 20 is the 140th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (141st in leap years). ... 1782 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... Royal motto (French): Dieu et mon droit (Translated: God and my right) Englands location (dark green) within the United Kingdom (light green), with the Republic of Ireland (blue) to its west Languages English Capital London Largest city London Area – Total Ranked 1st UK 130,395 km² Population – Total (mid... Leonhard Euler is considered by many people to be one of the greatest mathematicians of all time A mathematician is a person whose primary area of study and research is mathematics. ... This article discusses Darlington, England. ... Mechanics can be seen as the prime, and even as the original, discipline of physics. ... Music is a form of expression in the medium of time using the structures of tones and silence. ... May 20 is the 140th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (141st in leap years). ... 1782 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ...

Emerson was eccentric and indeed clownish, but he possessed remarkable independence of character and intellectual energy. The boldness with which he expressed his opinions on religious subjects led to his being charged with scepticism, but for this there was no foundation. In popular usage, eccentricity refers to unusual or odd behavior on the part of a person, as opposed to being normal. ... Skepticism (Commonwealth spelling: Scepticism) can mean: Philosophical skepticism - a philosophical position in which people choose to critically examine whether the knowledge and perceptions that they have are actually true, and whether or not one can ever be said to have absolutely true knowledge; or Scientific skepticism - a scientific, or practical...

Emerson’s works include:

• The Doctrine of Fluxions (1748)
• The Projection of the Sphere, Orthographic, Stereographic and Gnomical (1749)
• The Elements of Trigonometry (1749)
• The Principles of Mechanics (1754)
• A Treatise of Navigation (1755)
• A Treatise of Algebra, in two books (1765)
• The Arithmetic of Infinites, and the Differential Method, illustrated by Examples (1767)
• Mechanics, or the Doctrine of Motion (1769)
• The Elements of Optics, in four books (1768)
• A System of Astronomy (1769)
• The Laws of Centripetal and Centrifugal Force (1769)
• The Mathematical Principles of Geography (1770)
• Tracts (1770)
• Cyclomathesis, or an Easy Introduction to the several branches of the Mathematics (1770), in ten volumes
• A Short Comment on Sir Isaac Newton’s Principia; to which is added, A Defence of Sir Isaac against the objections that have been made to several parts of his works (1770)
• A Miscellaneous Treatise containing several Mathematical Subjects (1776).

Original text from http://1911encyclopedia.org