Ronald Fisher

Ronald Fisher (17 February 1890 – 29 July 1962) was a British statistician and geneticist. For his work in statistics, he has been described as "a genius who almost single-handedly created the foundations for modern statistical science" and "the single most important figure in 20th century statistics". In genetics, his work used mathematics to combine Mendelian genetics and natural selection; this contributed to the revival of Darwinism in the early 20th-century revision of the theory of evolution known as the modern synthesis. Fisher also did important work in the area of eugenics.

Early life and education[edit | edit source]

Fisher was born in East Finchley in London, England, into a middle-class household; his father, George, was a successful partner in Robinson & Fisher, auctioneers and fine art dealers. He was one of twins, with the other twin being still-born and grew up with five sisters and one brother. From 1896 until 1904 they lived at Inverforth House in London, where English Heritage has erected a blue plaque to him.

Career[edit | edit source]

Fisher was a pioneer in the field of statistics, developing numerous theories that have shaped modern statistics. His most significant contributions include the principle of maximum likelihood, Fisher's linear discriminant analysis, and Fisher's exact test.

In the field of genetics, Fisher's work on the theory of natural selection and Mendelian genetics led to a resurgence of Darwinism in the early 20th century. He introduced the concept of genetic variance and used statistical methods to explain the genetic diversity of populations, a fundamental concept in the field of evolutionary biology.

Legacy[edit | edit source]

Fisher's work has had a profound impact on both statistics and genetics, with many of his methods still used in research today. His contributions to statistics have been described as "revolutionary" and his work in genetics has been crucial in the development of the modern synthesis of evolutionary theory.