The greatest achievement of the 17th century was the discovery of methods that applied mathematics to the study of motion. An example is Galileo's analysis of the parabolic path of projectiles, published in 1638.
The greatest development of mathematics in the 18th century took place on the Continent, where monarchs such as Louis XIV, Frederick the Great, and the Empress Catherine the Great of Russia provided generous support for science, including mathematics.
Galileo