Gompertz, Benjamin
\gompertz\ \ˈbɛnʤəmən\
A British mathematician, actuary and Fellow of the Royal Society. His work on mortality tables led him in 1825 to develop his law of human mortality – known as the Gompertz curve.
Based on his observation that mortality increases exponentially as age increases. He observed that “It is possible that death may be the consequence of two generally co-existing causes; the one, chance, without previous disposition to death or deterioration; the other, a deterioration, or an increased inability to withstand destruction” with his formula capturing the latter dynamic. His formula is still widely used today.