Benjamin Peirce

For his father, the Harvard librarian, see Benjamin Peirce (librarian). For the U.S. Coast Survey ship, see USCS Benjamin Peirce.

For other people named Benjamin Peirce, see Benjamin Peirce (disambiguation).

Benjamin Peirce ForMemRS HonFRSE
Peirce c. 1870
Born	(1809-04-04)April 4, 1809 Salem, Massachusetts, U.S.
Died	October 6, 1880(1880-10-06) (aged 71) Cambridge, Massachusetts, U.S.
Spouse	Sarah Hunt Mills
Children	5, including Charles, Herbert, and James
Father	Benjamin Peirce
Scientific career
Education	Harvard University
Known for	Peirce's criterion for outliers (statistics) Definition of mathematics as the science of necessary truths linear algebras celestial mechanics
Fields	Mathematics statistics science policy
Workplaces	Harvard University Superintendent of the United States Coast Survey
Academic advisors	Nathaniel Bowditch
Notable students	Joseph Lovering C. S. Peirce Simon Newcomb
Signature

Benjamin Peirce (/ˈpɜːrs/; April 4, 1809 – October 6, 1880) was an American mathematician who taught at Harvard University for approximately 50 years. He made contributions to celestial mechanics, statistics, number theory, algebra, and the philosophy of mathematics.