Chasles

Michel Chasles

Born: 15 Nov 1793 in Épernon, France
Died: 18 Dec 1880 in Paris, France

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Chasles became professor at the École Polytechnique in Paris in 1841. He worked on algebraic and projective geometry. Chasles wrote Apercu historique sur l'origine et le développement des méthodes en géométrie (1837) which is still an important historical reference.

He also wrote an extremely important text on geometry showing the power of synthetic geometry. In his text Traité de géométrie in 1852 Chasles discusses cross ratio, pencils and involutions, all notions which he introduced. In fact Möbius independently introduced the cross ratio. A second text, Traité des sections coniques (1865), applied these techniques to conic sections. The principle of duality occurs throughout his work which was carried on by Steiner.

Chasles was the victim of a celebrated fraud paying the equivalent of 20,000 pounds for various letters from famous men of science and others which turned out to be forged.

References elsewhere in this archive:

Tell me about Chasles's work on abstract linear spaces

References:

  1. Dictionary of Scientific Biography
  2. Biography in Encyclopaedia Britannica
  3. J Bertrand, Michel Chasles, Éloges academique (Paris, 1902), 27-58. 
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