Hoyle, Edmond, 1672-1769, English writer on games, b. London. He codified the rules of whist in his book A Short Treatise on the Game of Whist (1742) and in successive editions of the book he added new material on whist together with treatises on quadrille, piquet, and backgammon. He wrote several other books, and "according to Hoyle" has come to mean "by highest authority." Several modern encyclopedias of card games use the name Hoyle in their titles.

Hoyle, Sir Fred, 1915-2001, British astrophysicist and mathematician, b. Bingley, Yorkshire. During the years of World War II, Hoyle primarily worked on technical problems related to radar. As a diversion, he discussed astronomy with Hermann Bondi and Thomas Gold, and the three formulated the steady-state cosmology (1948). Best known for his theories concerning the structure of stars and the origin of the chemical elements in stars, Hoyle was also instrumental in founding the Institute of Theoretical Astronomy and in establishing the Anglo-Australian Observatory in central New South Wales. He was a prolific author, not only of technical papers but also of science fiction and popular science. His first novel, The Black Cloud (1957), has become a classic, and his autobiography, Home Is Where the Wind Blows (1994), discusses the controversy and academic disputes he endured during his teaching years at Cambridge (1945-1972). Hoyle was knighted in 1972.

(born June 24, 1915, Bingley, Yorkshire, Eng.—died Aug. 20, 2001, Bournemouth, Dorset) British mathematician and astronomer. He was educated at the University of Cambridge, where he became a lecturer in 1945. Within the framework of Albert Einstein's theory of relativity, Hoyle formulated a mathematical basis for the steady-state theory of the universe, making the expansion of the universe and the creation of matter interdependent. Controversy about the theory grew in the late 1950s and early '60s. New observations of distant galaxies and other phenomena supported the big-bang model and weakened the steady-state theory, which has since generally fallen out of favour. Though forced to alter some of his conclusions, Hoyle persistently tried to make his theory consistent with new evidence. He is known also for his popular science works and fiction.

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(born June 24, 1915, Bingley, Yorkshire, Eng.—died Aug. 20, 2001, Bournemouth, Dorset) British mathematician and astronomer. He was educated at the University of Cambridge, where he became a lecturer in 1945. Within the framework of Albert Einstein's theory of relativity, Hoyle formulated a mathematical basis for the steady-state theory of the universe, making the expansion of the universe and the creation of matter interdependent. Controversy about the theory grew in the late 1950s and early '60s. New observations of distant galaxies and other phenomena supported the big-bang model and weakened the steady-state theory, which has since generally fallen out of favour. Though forced to alter some of his conclusions, Hoyle persistently tried to make his theory consistent with new evidence. He is known also for his popular science works and fiction.

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(born 1671/72—died Aug. 29, 1769, London, Eng.) British writer on card games. Hoyle wrote A Short Treatise on the Game of Whist in 1742, and in 1760 he established a set of rules for whist that remained in effect until 1864. His codification of the laws of backgammon (1743) is still largely in force. He is memorialized in the phrase “according to Hoyle” and in various game rule books that contain his name in the h1 as an indication of authority.

Learn more about Hoyle, Edmond with a free trial on Britannica.com.

(born 1671/72—died Aug. 29, 1769, London, Eng.) British writer on card games. Hoyle wrote A Short Treatise on the Game of Whist in 1742, and in 1760 he established a set of rules for whist that remained in effect until 1864. His codification of the laws of backgammon (1743) is still largely in force. He is memorialized in the phrase “according to Hoyle” and in various game rule books that contain his name in the h1 as an indication of authority.

Learn more about Hoyle, Edmond with a free trial on Britannica.com.

Hoyle is a surname, and may refer to

• Alan Hoyle, British basketball player and coach
• Arthur Hoyle, Australian historian and biographer
• Colin Hoyle, English football player
• David Hoyle, British perfomance artist
• David W. Hoyle, North Carolina politician
• Dean Hoyle, British businessman
• Doug Hoyle, Baron Hoyle, British politician
• Edmond Hoyle (1672–1769), compiler of rules of card games
• Sir Fred Hoyle (1915–2001), British astronomer and science fiction writer
• Geoff Hoyle, British actor
• Lindsay Hoyle (b. 1957), British politician
• Robert Hoyle, Canadian businessman and politician
• Theodore Hoyle, British cricket player
• William Hoyle, speaker of the Ontario legislature 1912-1914
• William Evans Hoyle (1855–1927), cephalopod monographer and museum director

Places named Hoyle include:

• Hoyle, West Sussex, a hamlet of Heyshott

See also

• Hoyle Casino, computer casino simulation game