1809-1882

French Mathematician

French mathematician Joseph Liouville was an accomplished teacher and a gifted researcher. His work in mathematical physics influenced the study of electrodynamics, heat flow, and addressed problems in astronomy. In addition, his purely mathematical contributions included the integration of certain algebraic functions, transcendental numbers, and examination of boundary values in differential equations. During his incredibly productive career, he taught almost continuously and published over 400 scientific papers.

Liouville was the son of a captain in Napoleon's army, causing him to live with his uncle until his father's return from the Napoleonic wars. After the wars, Liouville attended school, eventually attending the Collège St. Louis in Paris. It was there that he first studied high-level mathematics and began writing papers (though none were published). In 1825 Liouville entered the Ecole Polytechnique, taking classes from André Ampère (1775-1836), Dominique Arago (1786-1853), and Simeon Poisson (1781-...