Wales Institute of Mathematical and Computational Sciences

Francois Arago, when reading his obituary on Fourier (1768 – 1830) from the start emphasized that with Fourier we encounter one of the most unusual academician living an even more unusual life during one of the most exiting periods of Europe’s history.

 

Born into a family of a tailor, an orphan with 11, educated by the Benedictine Order, he was just stop to enter the Benedictine Order by the outbreak of the French Revolution. During the the high time of  “le terreur “ he was twice convicted to death, the second time the execution was scheduled for 10 Thermidor in year II. – But there was the Thermidor 9 before. Ordered  by Napoleon to join the expedition to Egypt, eventually he was in charge to repatriate the remaining expedition corp after Napoleon has left. He became the Prefect of the Department d’Isere with Grenoble as capital and got problems with Napoleon during his 100 days. More problems came with the restoration of the Bourbon.

 

And where is the scholar Fourier? He became a member of the Academie des Sciences , even one Secretaire Perpetuel, and he was a member of the Academie Francaise, i.e. one of the 40 Immortels. He was in charge in editing “Description de l’Egypt” and contributed the famous “Preface Historique”. Moreover he contributed much to the education of Champollion-Figeac, and hence indirectly to the decipherment of the hieroglyphs. Thus he is one of the founding father of Egyptology.

 

His main academic occupation was however mathematical physics, in particular the study of heat. He came up with a complete and still valid theory of heat, and in developing his ideas he introduced “dimensional analysis” to physics, i.e. the checking of the units of measurement, he also predicted the green house effect. To solve his model equation he was led to completely new mathematical ideas, ideas which changed for ever Mathematics. By introducing what is nowadays called Fourier series he enforced a change in the notion of a function with far reaching consequences. Cantor’s set theory, Riemann’s and Lebesgue’s integration theory, spectral analysis, functional analysis,… they all can be traced back to Fourier’s series which he used in his “Theorie Analytique de la Chaleur”, one of the most influential book ever written in science.

 

We will encounter  a scientist in his times and times of dramatic developments in science and society,  developments which have ongoing deep impact.