Pierre-Simon Laplace IQ
Mathematician & Astronomer · 1749–1827
Quick Answer
Pierre-Simon Laplace's IQ is estimated at 170 to 190. Cox's 1926 study gave him a corrected 190, level with Newton; no test was taken.
Cox's corrected estimate for Laplace was 190, the same as Newton's. His celestial mechanics and probability work back up a very high rating.
- Estimated IQ
- 170+
- Range
- 170–190
- Known for
- Celestial mechanics, probability
- Basis
- Cox 1926 historiometric estimate
Evidence status: Low confidence. Laplace died in 1827. No test exists; the figure below is from a 1926 study of biographies. Historical achievement cannot be converted into a precise modern test result. This page separates documented evidence from interpretation.
What was Laplace's IQ?
Laplace never took an IQ test. Catharine Cox's 1926 study gave him a corrected estimate of 190, the same figure as Newton and Voltaire. Adjusted for the Flynn effect that falls to about 170, so LifeScore uses a range of 170 to 190.
Did Laplace examine Napoleon?
Yes. In 1785 Laplace examined the young Napoleon Bonaparte at the military school in Paris and passed him into the artillery. Years later Napoleon made Laplace Minister of the Interior, then removed him after six weeks, saying he brought the spirit of the infinitely small into government.
Where does the 190 figure come from?
The 190 is Catharine Cox's corrected estimate from her 1926 study of 301 eminent people born between 1450 and 1850. She rated each person from biographical records of what they could do as a child and young adult, then corrected for gaps in the record.
Cox's numbers sit on an old ratio-IQ scale. One secondary tabulation subtracts about 22 points for the Flynn effect, which puts Pierre-Simon Laplace near 170.
LifeScore lists 170+, and the working range of 170 to 190 spans both figures. None of them is a test result.
How smart was Pierre-Simon Laplace?
Celestial mechanics
His five-volume Traité de mécanique céleste showed the solar system is stable under Newtonian gravity.
Probability theory
His 1812 book set out methods of inference that underpin modern statistics.
Laplace's equation
The equation that bears his name governs gravity, electricity and heat flow.
The nebular hypothesis
He proposed that the solar system formed from a rotating cloud of gas.
How Laplace thought
Laplace took existing theory and pushed it to completion. Where Newton left loose ends, Laplace worked out the mathematics in exhaustive detail, often skipping steps with "it is easy to see", a phrase that frustrated later readers.
Evidence behind the Pierre-Simon Laplace IQ estimate
The estimate is a structured interpretation of the record, not a recovered test score. These are the strongest signals and the reasons for caution.
Evidence considered
- Cox's 1926 study gave Laplace a corrected estimate of 190, about 170 after a Flynn-effect adjustment.
- His five-volume Traité de mécanique céleste (1799 to 1825) extended Newtonian gravitation to the stability of the solar system.
- His 1812 Théorie analytique des probabilités laid much of the ground for modern statistics.
What the estimate cannot prove
- Cox's scale runs higher than modern deviation IQ.
- He was accused by contemporaries of under-crediting others, so some output reflects synthesis.
- Biographical records of his youth are thin.
Laplace vs Newton, Gauss, Napoleon
How Pierre-Simon Laplace's estimate compares with related figures. Every number here is an estimate, and the basis differs from person to person.
| Figure | Estimate | Range |
|---|---|---|
| Pierre-Simon Laplace | 170+ | 170–190 |
| Isaac Newton | 160+ | 160–190 |
| Carl Friedrich Gauss | 170+ | 160–180 |
| Napoleon Bonaparte | 145 | 125–155 |
Take the Laplace IQ test
Pierre-Simon Laplace's estimate is 170+. Our Einstein IQ test is a short visual reasoning challenge. See which side of that number you land on.
Take the Laplace IQ testPierre-Simon Laplace's IQ is represented here by a retrospective estimate of 170+, not a verified test result. Pierre-Simon Laplace is best known for exceptional mathematical power. The useful question is what the surviving evidence shows, not whether a precise modern score can be recovered.
Psychological Profile
Ambitious and politically nimble. Brought Newtonian physics to its most complete form.
The dominant archetype here is The Logician. This archetype shapes decision patterns: what feels natural, what creates friction, and what blind spots tend to emerge.
Estimated IQ is 170+. This is a rough estimate based on documented accomplishments and contemporary accounts, not a literal measurement.
Key Behavioral Traits
He survived the Revolution, Napoleon and the Restoration, changing sides as needed.
He imagined an intellect that could predict the whole future from the present, now called Laplace's demon.
He was accused of not always crediting others, including Lagrange.
One thing most people do not know
Asked by Napoleon why his book never mentioned God, Laplace is said to have replied that he had no need of that hypothesis.
Sources for this estimate
Follow the evidence yourself. These sources document the achievements and context used here; none is presented as a standardized IQ report.
- Pierre-Simon Laplace biographyMacTutor, University of St Andrews
Covers his celestial mechanics, probability and political career.
- The Early Mental Traits of Three Hundred Geniuses (Cox, 1926)Stanford University Press, via Internet Archive
The original historiometric study. Cox rated 301 eminent people born 1450 to 1850 from records of their childhood and youth.
- Cox's IQ estimates of 301 eminent geniusesIQ Comparison Site
Secondary tabulation of Cox's corrected estimates, with a version adjusted by about 22 points for the Flynn effect.
What do these scores mean?
See what an IQ of 170, 190 means in percentiles, then browse every famous estimate in one table.
Think like Laplace?
Pierre-Simon Laplace's estimate: 170+ (range 170 to 190). See where your own score falls.
Related famous IQs
- Isaac Newton IQ160+
- Carl Friedrich Gauss IQ170+
- Napoleon Bonaparte IQ145
- Nikola Tesla IQ160+
- Marie Curie IQ150
- Ada Lovelace IQ145
- Albert Einstein IQ160+
- Charles Darwin IQ140+
Same Archetype: The Logician
Explore psychological profiles of contemporary figures analyzed with similar methods.
Browse All ProfilesSigns of High IQ
Traits often discussed alongside high measured IQ:
Pierre-Simon Laplace: People Also Ask
Was Pierre-Simon Laplace a genius?+
Pierre-Simon's record supports exceptional achievement, but "genius" is not established by an unverified IQ number. Their The Logician archetype, combined with Mathematical Power and Ambition, is a more useful interpretation of their output.
What personality type was Pierre-Simon Laplace?+
Pierre-Simon fits the The Logician archetype. Key traits include Mathematical Power, Ambition, and Synthesis. This profile helps explain both their strengths and their documented failure modes.
What can we learn from Pierre-Simon Laplace?+
Pierre-Simon's profile teaches that extreme strengths create extreme trade-offs. Their Mathematical Power and Ambition enabled success but also created recurring friction.
References & Sources
Cox, C. M. (1926). The Early Mental Traits of Three Hundred Geniuses. Stanford University Press.
Simonton, D. K. (2009). Genius 101. Springer Publishing Company.
Cattell, R. B. (1971). Abilities: Their Structure, Growth, and Action. Houghton Mifflin.