Monge was born into a merchant family and received a typical public school education. His instinctive aptitude for mathematics and science was so strong that he was placed in charge of the physics course at the Collège de la Trinité, where he was also a student. Though he never again received any formal science education, Monge managed to enjoy a spectacularly successful scientific career.

In 1764 he drew up a large-scale plan of his hometown, Beaune, France, that was so admired by military officers that he was given the position of draftsman and technician at the École Royale du Génie at Mezières. Monge's technique of using geometry to solve construction details, which normally required tedious calculations, was the foundation of what is called descriptive geometry. Monge designed fortresses for the army, which guarded Monge's unique methods as a military secret.

Monge's...