Fisher, Ronald A (1890–1962)

Abstract

R. A. Fisher was one of the great intellects of the twentieth century. His contributions to evolutionary theory and mathematical genetics ensure him a place in the Darwinian pantheon especially through his book The Genetical Theory of Natural Selection. He is the undisputed father of modern statistical theory, his contributions standing alongside those of his great predecessors Cam Friedrick Gauss and Pierre Simon Laplace. The statistical methodology he developed has had a far-reaching impact in every field of science and social science, whether one considers the mathematical theory of distributions, the design and analysis of experiments, the theory of estimation, the theory of significance testing, or the logic of statistical inference. In genetics he was the principal architect of the application of statistics, much of his general theory having been inspired by practical problems, especially in human genetics. He initiated the study of linkage in man specifically for the purpose of throwing light on hereditary disease risks. His studies on natural and artificial populations of both plants and animals would alone have given him an honored place in the development of genetics in the twentieth century. His ‘1918’ paper is accepted as the starting point for the development of biometrical genetics, with its ramifications in plant and animal breeding.