George Boole

Date of Birth: November 2, 1815

Zodiac Sign: Scorpio

Date of Death: December 8, 1864

Biography

George Boole was a pioneering English mathematician, philosopher, and logician, best known for his work in the field of algebra and logic. Born in Lincoln, England, Boole made significant contributions to the development of modern symbolic logic and is often regarded as the founder of Boolean algebra, which underpins the operation of digital computers and electronic circuits. Despite a lack of formal education in higher mathematics, Boole’s self-taught expertise and innovative thinking led him to develop the algebraic system that bears his name. His seminal work, “An Investigation of the Laws of Thought,” published in 1854, laid the groundwork for the binary system of arithmetic, which is crucial to computer science today. Boole spent a significant part of his career as a professor at Queen’s College, Cork, in Ireland, where he continued his work until his untimely death.

5 Interesting Facts about George Boole

1. George Boole was largely self-taught in mathematics, having received little formal education in the subject.

2. Boole’s work laid the foundation for the information age by providing the mathematical framework for digital logic and computer science.

3. Boole was appointed the first professor of mathematics at Queen’s College, Cork, where he worked until his death.

4. Boole’s Boolean algebra simplifies the design of electrical circuits, making it fundamental to modern electronics and computer engineering.

5. Boole married Mary Everest, a niece of George Everest, after whom Mount Everest is named. Mary later became an accomplished author and educator.

5 Most Interesting Quotes from George Boole

1. “Mathematics is the science of the necessary conclusions.”

2. “No general method for the solution of questions in the theory of probabilities can be established which does not explicitly recognize the existence of the inverse problem.”

3. “Of the many forms of mental activity, none is more important than that of the logical deduction.”

4. “A real mathematician, like a painter or poet, is a maker of patterns.”

5. “Nature and nature’s laws lay hid in night; God said ‘Let Boole be’ and all was light.”

Highest Net Worth Achieved

George Boole’s achievements were more academic than financial, and there are no records of a significant net worth during his lifetime.

Children

George Boole had five daughters with Mary Everest: Mary Ellen Boole, Margaret Boole, Alicia Boole Stott, Lucy Everest Boole, and Ethel Lilian Boole. Several of his daughters went on to achieve notable success in their respective fields, particularly in mathematics and science.