Lucas

Francois Edouard Anatole Lucas

Born: 4 April 1842 in Amiens, France
Died: 3 Oct 1891 in Paris, France

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Édouard Lucas is best known for his results in number theory: in particular he studied the Fibonacci sequence and the associated Lucas sequence named after him. He devised methods of testing primality, essentially as used today, and used them in 1876 to prove that the Mersenne number 2^1^2^7-1 is prime.

He is also well known for his invention of the Towers of Hanoi problem and other mathematical recreations.

He died as the result of a freak accident at a banquet when a plate was dropped and a piece flew up and cut his cheek. He died of erysipelas a few days later.

References elsewhere in this archive:

Tell me about Lucas's part in investigating prime numbers and his work on mathematical games and recreations

References:

  1. Dictionary of Scientific Biography
  2. D Harkin, On the Mathematical Works of Francois Edouard Anatole Lucas, Enseignement mathématique 3 (1957), 276-288. 
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JOC/EFR February 1996