Mylon, Claude

1. Dates

Born: Paris, c. 1618

Died: Paris, c. 1660

Dateinfo: ca.

Lifespan: 42

2. Father

Occupation: Government Official

His father was a counselor to Louis XIII and Controller-General of Finance.

Nothing is said about financial status, and yet it is impossible to believe that the family was not wealthy. Mylon was admitted to the bar two years before reaching the legal age--surely an indication of influence (which is not, to be sure, identical to wealth, though the two frequently cohabit).

3. Nationality

Birth: French

Career: French

Death: French

4. Education

Schooling: No University

He was admitted to the bar as an advocate before Parlement in 1641, two years younger than the required age of majority.

5. Religion

Affiliation: Catholic

6. Scientific Disciplines

Primary: Scientific Communication

Subordinate: Mathematics

He became interested in mathematics as early as 1645.

Mylon's importance in science derives from the service he provided by facilitating communication among many learned men from 1650-60. After the death of Pailleur, the director of the Académie Parisienne, Mylon had access to the papers of the society. He sent information on Fermat's and Frenicle's problems in number theory to Holland. He shared Fermat's and Pascal's problems on games of chance with Schooten. He was also in contact with Mersenne, Debeaune and Roberval.

In his correspondence, Mylon did attempt to enter into the mathematical exchange himself, without displaying outstanding qualities as a mathematician.

7. Means of Support

Primary: Law, Personal Means

In 1641 he was admitted to the bar as an advocate before Parlement.

The entry "Per" is frankly speculation, but I find it impossible to reject.

8. Patronage

Type: None

9. Technological Involvement

Type: None

10. Scientific Societies

Memberships: None

Some time before 1654 Mylon was the secretary of the Académie Parisienne, a continuation of the Mersenne group.

Sources

1. Christiaan Huygens, Oeuvres complétes, 1, 316. See also 14, 4-9.
2. A.R. Hall & M.B. Hall, eds., The Correspondence of Henry Oldenburg, 1, 225.
3. There is just precious little information about Mylon. The two notes above are extremely short, the Halls' being a copy of the one in Huygens' Oeuvres. Mylon does not appear in Biographie générale, Nouvelle biographie générale, Moreri, Zedler, or Bayle. Costabel's article in the DSB is far and away the most complete account I have found.

Compiled by:

Richard S. Westfall

Department of History and Philosophy of Science

Indiana University

Note: the creators of the Galileo Project and this catalogue cannot answer email on geneological questions.