Scottish mathematician who became a disciple of Newton. He published the first systematic formulation of Newton's methods in A Treatise of Fluxions (1742). In this work, he developed a method for expanding functions about the origin in terms of series now known as Maclaurin series. This method was generalized to expansion about an arbitrary point by Brook Taylor. Maclaurin also invented several devices, made astronomical observations, and improved maps of the Scottish isles. Maclaurin knew Cramer's rule probably as early as 1729.

Additional biographies: MacTutor (St. Andrews)