Charles Bossut | |
---|---|
Born | |
Died | 14 January 1814
Paris, France | (aged 83)
Nationality | French |
Scientific career | |
Fields | Mathematics |
Charles Bossut (11 August 1730 – 14 January 1814) was a French mathematician and confrère of the Encyclopaedists.
Bossut was born in 1730 in Tartaras, Loire to Barthélemy Bossut and Jeanne Thonnerine. [1] He lost his father early in life and was raised by his uncle. [1] He received his education at the Jesuit College of Lyon from age fourteen, under the influence of Père Béraud, who also mentored mathematicians such as Montucla and Jérôme Lalande. [1]
After completing his studies, Bossut followed a path in the Church, becoming known as Abbé Charles Bossut. [1] He delved into mathematical research, collaborating with contemporaries such as Jean le Rond d'Alembert, Alexis Clairaut, and Charles Étienne Louis Camus. [1] In 1753, he became a correspondant at the French Academy of Sciences. [1]
By the age of 21, he was appointed professor of mathematics at the École du Génie in Mézières, where he enhanced the course quality and taught future mathematicians, including Jean-Charles de Borda and Charles-Augustin de Coulomb. [1]
Bossut's research in mechanics and resistance to planetary motion earned recognition from the French Academy of Sciences, resulting in multiple Grand Prix awards. [1] He played a pivotal role in guiding Gaspard Monge's career, who later succeeded him at Mézières. [1]
In the 1760s, Bossut authored textbooks, notably Traité élémentaire de mécanique (1763) and Cours complet de mathématiques (1765). [1] He also served as an examiner at Mézières and later at the École Polytechnique. [1]
In 1774, Bossut was appointed to a newly established chair of hydrodynamics at the Louvre, a position he held until 1780. [1] During this time, he conducted fluid resistance experiments and edited an edition of Pascal's works. [1]
Bossut's later works include contributing to Diderot's Encyclopédie méthodique and publishing Mécanique en général (1792) and Essai sur l'histoire générale des mathématiques (1802). [1] In his later years, Bossut became reclusive and remained unmarried. [1] Nonetheless, he received accolades from several scientific academies, including those in Lyon, Toulouse, St Petersburg, Turin, and Bologna, for his contributions to mathematics. [1]
Did write parts of the Encyclopédie on mathematics with Jean le Rond d'Alembert. 1768 member of Académie des sciences
This article incorporates text from a publication now in the
public domain:
Wood, James, ed. (1907).
The Nuttall Encyclopædia. London and New York: Frederick Warne. {{
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