Charles Hermite
Pioneering French mathematician known for work in analysis and number theory.
Chronology: 1822-12-24 – 1901-01-14
Origins & Early Life
Charles Hermite (French: [ʃaʁl ɛʁmit]; 24 December 1822 – 14 January 1901) was a French mathematician who studied analysis, number theory, and algebra. One of his most remarkable achievements was the proof of the transcendence of the number e. == Life == Hermite was born in Dieuze, Moselle, on 24 December 1822, with a deformity in his right foot that would impair his gait throughout his life. He was the sixth of seven children of Ferdinand Hermite and his wife, Madeleine née Lallemand.
Pivotal Works & Achievements
Ferdinand worked in the drapery business of Madeleine's family while also pursuing a career as an artist. The drapery business relocated to Nancy in 1828, and so did the family. Hermite obtained his secondary education at Collège de Nancy and then, in Paris, at Collège Henri IV and at the Lycée Louis-le-Grand. He read some of Joseph-Louis Lagrange's writings on the solution of numerical equations and Carl Friedrich Gauss's publications on number theory. Hermite wanted to take his higher education at École Polytechnique, a military academy renowned for excellence in mathematics, science, and engineering.
Enduring Legacy & Impact
Tutored by mathematician Eugène Charles Catalan, Hermite devoted a year to preparing for the notoriously...
Source: Wikipedia