Having studied mathematics under John Machin and John Keill, in 1708 he obtained a remarkable solution of the problem of the "centre of oscillation," which, however, remained unpublished until May 1714, when his claim to priority was disputed by Johann Bernoulli.
Setelah belajar matematika dengan John Machin dan John Keill, pada tahun 1708 ia memperoleh solusi yang luar biasa tentang masalah "pusat osilasi," yang, entah kenapa, tetap tidak dipublikasikan hingga Mei 1714, ketika klaimnya mengenai teori tersebut ditentang oleh Johann Bernoulli.