Today In History; Birthdate of Roger Cotes, Mathematician

1682: Roger Cotes only published one original paper in his lifetime, Logometria, his rectification of the logarithmic curve. But he spent much time editing the second edition of Newton's Principia. Rather than simply proof-reading Newton’s work, he studied it and debated its points with Newton. His independent work brought about important advances in the theory of logarithms, integral calculus, and interpolation. By age 26, Cotes became the first Plumian Professor of Astronomy and Experimental Philosophy.