How did Edmond Halley’s mortality tables for Breslau contribute to life insurance mathematics?

Edmond Halley’s mortality tables for the city of Breslau, published in 1693, represented one of the first scientific attempts to establish a mathematical relationship between mortality and age within a population.1

By analyzing these death records, Halley provided a foundational framework for calculating the probability of survival at different stages of life. This work was instrumental in the development of actuarial tables, which serve as the essential mathematical basis for life insurance by allowing insurers to accurately assess risk and determine appropriate premiums based on life expectancy.1