Charles Julien Brianchon
Encyclopedia
Charles Julien Brianchon (1783-1864) was a French
mathematician
and chemist
. He entered into the École Polytechnique
in 1804 at the age of eighteen, and studied under Monge
, graduating first in his class in 1808, after which he took up a career as a lieutenant
in Napoleon's artillery
. Later, in 1818, Brianchon became a professor
in the Artillery School of the Royal Guard at Vincennes
.
Brianchon is best known for his proof
of Brianchon's theorem
(1810).
Brianchon's book "Mémoire sur les lignes du second ordre" (Paris, 1817) is available online http://www.math.ru/lib/files/pdf/geometry/Brianchon-1817.pdf.
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
mathematician
Mathematician
A mathematician is a person whose primary area of study is the field of mathematics. Mathematicians are concerned with quantity, structure, space, and change....
and chemist
Chemist
A chemist is a scientist trained in the study of chemistry. Chemists study the composition of matter and its properties such as density and acidity. Chemists carefully describe the properties they study in terms of quantities, with detail on the level of molecules and their component atoms...
. He entered into the École Polytechnique
École Polytechnique
The École Polytechnique is a state-run institution of higher education and research in Palaiseau, Essonne, France, near Paris. Polytechnique is renowned for its four year undergraduate/graduate Master's program...
in 1804 at the age of eighteen, and studied under Monge
Monge
Monge may refer to:* Edgard Monge , convicted of assault in Canada for failing to disclose his HIV status to his sexual partners* Gaspard Monge , mathematician and Comte de Péluse...
, graduating first in his class in 1808, after which he took up a career as a lieutenant
Lieutenant
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
in Napoleon's artillery
Artillery
Originally applied to any group of infantry primarily armed with projectile weapons, artillery has over time become limited in meaning to refer only to those engines of war that operate by projection of munitions far beyond the range of effect of personal weapons...
. Later, in 1818, Brianchon became a professor
Professor
A professor is a scholarly teacher; the precise meaning of the term varies by country. Literally, professor derives from Latin as a "person who professes" being usually an expert in arts or sciences; a teacher of high rank...
in the Artillery School of the Royal Guard at Vincennes
Vincennes
Vincennes is a commune in the Val-de-Marne department in the eastern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the centre of Paris. It is one of the most densely populated municipalities in Europe.-History:...
.
Brianchon is best known for his proof
Mathematical proof
In mathematics, a proof is a convincing demonstration that some mathematical statement is necessarily true. Proofs are obtained from deductive reasoning, rather than from inductive or empirical arguments. That is, a proof must demonstrate that a statement is true in all cases, without a single...
of Brianchon's theorem
Brianchon's theorem
In geometry, Brianchon's theorem, named after Charles Julien Brianchon , is as follows. Let ABCDEF be a hexagon formed by six tangent lines of a conic section...
(1810).
Brianchon's book "Mémoire sur les lignes du second ordre" (Paris, 1817) is available online http://www.math.ru/lib/files/pdf/geometry/Brianchon-1817.pdf.