Joseph, Baron Fourier summary

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Joseph, Baron Fourier, (born March 21, 1768, Auxerre, France—died May 16, 1830, Paris), French mathematician and Egyptologist. While an engineer on Napoleon’s Egyptian expedition, he conducted (1798–1801) anthropological investigations and wrote the preface to the monumental Description de l’Égypte, whose publication he oversaw (1809–28). In 1808 he was created a baron by Napoleon. In mathematics he is primarily known for his work in heat conduction (1807–22), for his use of the Fourier series to solve differential equations, and for the related concept of the Fourier transform. As a scientist and humanist, he epitomized the spirit of French intellectualism of the Revolutionary era.

Egyptology Summary

Egyptology, the study of pharaonic Egypt, spanning the period c. 4500 bce to ce 641. Egyptology began when the scholars accompanying Napoleon Bonaparte’s invasion of Egypt (1798–1801) published Description de l’Égypte (1809–28), which made large quantities of source material about ancient Egypt

physics Summary

Physics, science that deals with the structure of matter and the interactions between the fundamental constituents of the observable universe. In the broadest sense, physics (from the Greek physikos) is concerned with all aspects of nature on both the macroscopic and submicroscopic levels. Its

The transformation of a circular region into an approximately rectangular regionThis suggests that the same constant (π) appears in the formula for the circumference, 2πr, and in the formula for the area, πr2. As the number of pieces increases (from left to right), the “rectangle” converges on a πr by r rectangle with area πr2—the same area as that of the circle. This method of approximating a (complex) region by dividing it into simpler regions dates from antiquity and reappears in the calculus.

analysis Summary

Analysis, a branch of mathematics that deals with continuous change and with certain general types of processes that have emerged from the study of continuous change, such as limits, differentiation, and integration. Since the discovery of the differential and integral calculus by Isaac Newton and

mathematics Summary

Mathematics, the science of structure, order, and relation that has evolved from elemental practices of counting, measuring, and describing the shapes of objects. It deals with logical reasoning and quantitative calculation, and its development has involved an increasing degree of idealization and