Michel Rolle
Michel Rolle (April 21, 1652 - November 8, 1719) was a French mathematician. He is best known for Rolle's theorem (1691). He also invented the current standardized notation
- <math>\sqrt[n]{x}<math>
to denote the <math>n<math>:th root of <math>x<math>.
Rolle was born in Ambert, Basse-Auvergne. In 1675 he moved from Ambert to Paris and in 1785 he was elected to join the Académie Royal des Sciences and became a Pensionnaire Géometre of the Académie (1699). He had then already been given a pension by Jean-Baptiste Colbert after solving one of Jacques Ozanam's problems.
Rolle was an early critic of calculus; arguing that it was inaccurate and based upon unsound reason. He later changed his opinion.
Rolle died in Paris.
