About
Jean Le Rond d'Alembert (1717-1783) was a French mathematician and philosopher of the Enlightenment. Abandoned at birth, he was raised by a glazier's wife. He became a member of the Academy of Sciences at 23 and co-edited the Encyclopédie with Diderot, writing its preliminary discourse. His work in mechanics (d'Alembert's principle), partial differential equations (wave equation), and hydrodynamics (d'Alembert's paradox) left a lasting mark. He declined offers from Frederick the Great and Catherine the Great to remain in Paris, where he frequented salons and collaborated with Voltaire.
* 1717-11-16 — † 1783-10-28
Major works
- Traité de dynamique (1743)scientific treatise
- Recherches sur les cordes vibrantes (1747)scientific memoir
- Recherches sur la précession des équinoxes (1749)scientific memoir
- Discours préliminaire de l'Encyclopédie (1751)philosophical essay
- Essai d'une nouvelle théorie de la résistance des fluides (1752)scientific treatise
Key milestones
- 1741Elected to the French Academy of Sciences at age 23.
- 1751Publication of the Preliminary Discourse to the Encyclopédie.
- 1772Appointed Perpetual Secretary of the Académie Française.
Themes
Classical mechanicsEnlightenmentEncyclopédieMathematicsPhilosophy
Sources: britannica.com · maths.tcd.ie