Dear future mathematicians,
When I returned to Paris in 1813, my old friends Lagrange and Laplace persuaded me to spend the entirety of my time studying mathematics. The debilitating nature of my depression was short lived, so I was supposed to return to Cherbourg later in the year when my health had improved, but this was not compatible with my mathematical
ambitions. At this time, I found myself completely absorbed in the subject and did not want to return to engineering. I applied to be a professor at the École des Ponts et Chaussées but was turned down. With no other leads on jobs, I decided to work as an engineer on the Ourcq Canal project instead of returning to Cherbourg, so I could continue my work. I still strongly wanted an academic career but was turned down for more positions on numerous occasions. I first applied for a position in the Bureau des Longitudes and was not hired. Legendre, another mathematician, was appointed instead. I also lost a position to Poinsot at the geometry section of the Institute. Then, my depression was worsening, so I obtained more than nine months of unpaid sick leave until the war stopped the work on the Ourcq Canal. I applied to more positions in 1814, but one went to Ampère and another, which became vacant at the Institute when Napoleon Bonaparte resigned, went to Molard. I did not receive a single vote out of the 53 votes cast, which completely humiliated me. I continued to dedicate myself fully to mathematics anyway, and my work paid off because a year later, I published a paper on definite integrals that became the basis of the theory of complex analysis.
Still having not found work in 1815, I applied to be the mechanics chair at the École Polytechnique, but failed to obtain that position. It was awarded to another mathematician Binet, but I was appointed to be an assistant professor of analysis there in 1815. A year later, I won the Grand Prix of the French Academy of Sciences for my work on the propagation of waves at the surface of a liquid. I started to achieve real fame when I submitted a paper which solved one of Fermat’s claims on polygonal numbers. Soon after, I got into the Academy of Sciences when Carnot and Monge were dismissed due to political tension. In 1817, I filled a post at the Collège de France, teaching methods of integration that I had discovered, and in 1821, I created a textbook Cours d'analyse for the students at École Polytechnique. The book developed the basic theorems of calculus as rigorously as possible.
Despite my intelligence, I did not have very good relations with other mathematicians and scientists. I turned against the Academie des Sciences for not sharing my Catholic views, and I was told that religion should not be brought into my scientific work. When a scientist was giving a report on the theory of light in 1824, I found it absurd that he would say Newton had not believed that people had souls. A journalist described the event by saying “... it is certain a curious thing to see an academician who seemed to fulfill the respectable functions of a missionary preaching to the heathens.” I have also been described negatively by colleagues like Poncelet whose work in 1820 was on projective geometry. He said, “ ... I managed to approach my too rigid judge at his residence ... just as he was leaving ... During this very short and very rapid walk, I quickly perceived that I had in no way earned his regards or his respect as a scientist ... without allowing me to say anything else, he abruptly walked off, referring me to the forthcoming publication of his Leçons à 'École Polytechnique where, according to him, 'the question would be very properly explored'.” In 1826, another mathematician Abel, described my poor treatment of him by saying, “Cauchy is mad and there is nothing that can be done about him, although, right now, he is the only one who knows how mathematics should be done.” I have come to find that I may not be the easiest person to work with, but my devotion and persistence to the study of mathematics is superior to those around me, which is what is most important. My hope is that one day, future mathematicians will have found my work worthy of recognition, and I will have made multiple substantial contributions to mathematics.
Augustin-Louis Cauchy
Augustin Louis Cauchy. (n.d.). Retrieved February 28, 2018, from http://www2.stetson.edu/~efriedma/periodictable/html/Cu.html
"Cauchy, Augustin-Louis." Complete Dictionary of Scientific Biography. . Retrieved February 28, 2018 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/science/dictionaries-thesauruses-pictures-and-press-releases/cauchy-augustin-louis
O'Connor, J. J., & Robertson, E. F. (1997, January). Augustin Louis Cauchy. Retrieved February 14, 2018, from http://www-history.mcs.st-andrews.ac.uk/Biographies/Cauchy.html
When I returned to Paris in 1813, my old friends Lagrange and Laplace persuaded me to spend the entirety of my time studying mathematics. The debilitating nature of my depression was short lived, so I was supposed to return to Cherbourg later in the year when my health had improved, but this was not compatible with my mathematical
Still having not found work in 1815, I applied to be the mechanics chair at the École Polytechnique, but failed to obtain that position. It was awarded to another mathematician Binet, but I was appointed to be an assistant professor of analysis there in 1815. A year later, I won the Grand Prix of the French Academy of Sciences for my work on the propagation of waves at the surface of a liquid. I started to achieve real fame when I submitted a paper which solved one of Fermat’s claims on polygonal numbers. Soon after, I got into the Academy of Sciences when Carnot and Monge were dismissed due to political tension. In 1817, I filled a post at the Collège de France, teaching methods of integration that I had discovered, and in 1821, I created a textbook Cours d'analyse for the students at École Polytechnique. The book developed the basic theorems of calculus as rigorously as possible. Despite my intelligence, I did not have very good relations with other mathematicians and scientists. I turned against the Academie des Sciences for not sharing my Catholic views, and I was told that religion should not be brought into my scientific work. When a scientist was giving a report on the theory of light in 1824, I found it absurd that he would say Newton had not believed that people had souls. A journalist described the event by saying “... it is certain a curious thing to see an academician who seemed to fulfill the respectable functions of a missionary preaching to the heathens.” I have also been described negatively by colleagues like Poncelet whose work in 1820 was on projective geometry. He said, “ ... I managed to approach my too rigid judge at his residence ... just as he was leaving ... During this very short and very rapid walk, I quickly perceived that I had in no way earned his regards or his respect as a scientist ... without allowing me to say anything else, he abruptly walked off, referring me to the forthcoming publication of his Leçons à 'École Polytechnique where, according to him, 'the question would be very properly explored'.” In 1826, another mathematician Abel, described my poor treatment of him by saying, “Cauchy is mad and there is nothing that can be done about him, although, right now, he is the only one who knows how mathematics should be done.” I have come to find that I may not be the easiest person to work with, but my devotion and persistence to the study of mathematics is superior to those around me, which is what is most important. My hope is that one day, future mathematicians will have found my work worthy of recognition, and I will have made multiple substantial contributions to mathematics.
Augustin-Louis Cauchy
Augustin Louis Cauchy. (n.d.). Retrieved February 28, 2018, from http://www2.stetson.edu/~efriedma/periodictable/html/Cu.html
"Cauchy, Augustin-Louis." Complete Dictionary of Scientific Biography. . Retrieved February 28, 2018 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/science/dictionaries-thesauruses-pictures-and-press-releases/cauchy-augustin-louis
O'Connor, J. J., & Robertson, E. F. (1997, January). Augustin Louis Cauchy. Retrieved February 14, 2018, from http://www-history.mcs.st-andrews.ac.uk/Biographies/Cauchy.html
Is there a typo in the first sentence? It doesn't make sense to me...He said, “ ... I managed to approach my too rigid judge at his residence ... just as he was leaving ... During this very short and very rapid walk, I quickly perceived that I had in no way earned his regards or his respect as a scientist ... without allowing me to say anything else, he abruptly walked off, referring me to the forthcoming publication of his Leçons à 'École Polytechnique where, according to him, 'the question would be very properly explored'.”
ReplyDeleteIt is a direct quote, so I left the typo as it was. I thought he meant that Cauchy was resisting him/his math.
Delete