Brook Taylor was born on August 18, 1685 in Edmonton, Middlesex, England. The son of wealthy parents, his early education was by private tutors. Taylor's serious interest in mathematics began at Cambridge University, from which he graduated in 1709.
Taylor made important contributions in calculus, difference equations, and projective geometry. He also had an interest in probability, corresponding with Pierre-Remond Montmort and Abraham De Moivre. He is best remembered today for his results on the representation of functions by power series, known as Taylor series in his honor. Taylor's most important books are Methodus incrementorum direct et inversa (Direct and inverse incremental methods), and Linear Perspective, both published about 1715.
Brook Taylor died on December 29, 1731 in London.