1869-1951

French Mathematician

The career of Elie Joseph Cartan brought together four disparate mathematical fields: differential geometry, classical geometry, topology, and Lie theory. The latter was the creation of Norwegian mathematician Marius Sophus Lie (1842-1899), and concerns the application of continuous groups and symmetries in group theory. A successful and highly admired teacher, Cartan influenced a number of younger mathematicians—including his son, Henri Paul Cartan.

Born on April 9, 1869, Cartan's background was that of a peasant: his father, Joseph, was the village blacksmith in Dolomieu Isére, a town in the French Alps. Joseph and his wife Anne Cottaz Cartan had four children, of which Elie was the second. A talented student, the young Cartan attracted the attention of an inspector of primary schools, Antonin Dubost, when the latter visited Cartan's school. Dubost assisted Cartan in earning a scholarship to a lycée, or...