Józef Maria Hoene-Wroński

Józef Maria Hoene-Wroński (/ˈhoʊnə ˈvrɒnski/; Polish: [ˈjuzɛf ˈxɛnɛ ˈvrɔj̃skʲi]; French: Josef Hoëné-Wronski [ʒozɛf ɔɛne vʁɔ̃ski]; 23 August 1776 – 9 August 1853) was a Polish messianist philosopher, mathematician, physicist, inventor, lawyer, occultist and economist. In mathematics, he is known for introducing a novel series expansion for a function in response to Joseph Louis Lagrange's use of infinite series. The coefficients in Wroński's new series form the Wronskian, a determinant Thomas Muir named in 1882. As an inventor, he is credited with designing some of the first caterpillar vehicles.