Gergonne

Joseph Diaz Gergonne

Born: 19 June 1771 in Nancy, France
Died: 4 May 1859 in Montpellier, France

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Gergonne was an artillery officer and a professor of mathematics and provided an elegant solution to the Problem of Apollonius. This problem is to find a circle which touches three given circles. His early career was much influenced by Monge.

Gergonne introduced the word polar and the principal of duality in projective geometry grew out of his work. He published his own mathematics journal starting in 1810. It was known as Annales de Gergonne .

References:

  1. Dictionary of Scientific Biography
  2. A Lafon, Gergonne, ses travaux, Mémoires de l'Académie de Stanislas 1 (1860), 25-74. 
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JOC/EFR February 1996