View source for List of French mathematicians

== Early French Mathematicians ==

The history of French mathematics dates back to the [[Middle Ages|medieval period]], with the works of scholars such as [[Fibonacci|Leonardo of Pisa]] and [[Pierre de Fermat|Fermat]]. These early mathematicians laid the groundwork for future developments in the field, including the study of [[Number theory|number theory]], [[Geometry|geometry]], and [[Calculus|calculus]].

[[Image:Detail-57748.jpg|thumb|center|A medieval scholar studying mathematical diagrams.|class=only_on_mobile]]
[[Image:Detail-57749.jpg|thumb|center|A medieval scholar studying mathematical diagrams.|class=only_on_desktop]]

=== Leonardo of Pisa ===

Leonardo of Pisa, also known as Fibonacci, was an Italian mathematician who spent much of his life in France. He is best known for introducing the [[Fibonacci sequence|Fibonacci Sequence]] to the Western world, a series of numbers in which each number is the sum of the two preceding ones.

=== Pierre de Fermat ===

Pierre de Fermat was a French lawyer and mathematician who is given credit for early developments in [[Infinitesimal calculus|infinitesimal calculus]]. He is best known for [[Fermat's Last Theorem|Fermat's Last Theorem]], which states that no three positive integers a, b, and c can satisfy the equation a^n + b^n = c^n for any integer value of n greater than two.

== The Age of Enlightenment ==

The [[Age of Enlightenment|Enlightenment]] was a period of intellectual and scientific growth in France, and mathematics was no exception. This period saw the rise of mathematicians such as [[Blaise Pascal|Pascal]], [[Pierre-Simon Laplace|Laplace]], and [[Joseph-Louis Lagrange|Lagrange]], who made significant contributions to the field.

[[Image:Detail-57750.jpg|thumb|center|Enlightenment scholars discussing mathematical concepts.|class=only_on_mobile]]
[[Image:Detail-57751.jpg|thumb|center|Enlightenment scholars discussing mathematical concepts.|class=only_on_desktop]]

=== Blaise Pascal ===

Blaise Pascal was a French mathematician, physicist, and philosopher. He made significant contributions to the fields of [[Probability theory|probability theory]] and [[Projective geometry|projective geometry]], and he is known for [[Pascal's theorem|Pascal's Theorem]] and [[Pascal's Wager|Pascal's Wager]].

=== Pierre-Simon Laplace ===

Pierre-Simon Laplace was a French mathematician and astronomer who is known for his work on celestial mechanics, probability, and statistics. He is best known for [[Laplace's equation|Laplace's Equation]] and the [[Laplace transform|Laplace Transform]].

=== Joseph-Louis Lagrange ===

Joseph-Louis Lagrange was an Italian mathematician who spent much of his career in France. He made significant contributions to the fields of number theory, algebra, and celestial mechanics. His most notable works include the [[Lagrange's theorem (group theory)|Lagrange's Theorem]] and the [[Lagrange multiplier|Lagrange Multiplier]].

== Modern French Mathematicians ==

The 20th and 21st centuries have seen a number of French mathematicians who have made significant contributions to the field. These include [[Henri Poincaré|Poincaré]], [[André Weil|Weil]], and [[Cédric Villani|Villani]].

[[Image:Detail-57752.jpg|thumb|center|Modern mathematicians discussing complex equations.|class=only_on_mobile]]
[[Image:Detail-57753.jpg|thumb|center|Modern mathematicians discussing complex equations.|class=only_on_desktop]]

=== Henri Poincaré ===

Henri Poincaré was a French mathematician, theoretical physicist, and philosopher of science. He is known for his works on topology, number theory, and the three-body problem in celestial mechanics. His most notable works include the [[Poincaré recurrence theorem|Poincaré Recurrence Theorem]] and the [[Poincaré conjecture|Poincaré Conjecture]].

=== André Weil ===

André Weil was a French mathematician who made significant contributions to number theory and algebraic geometry. He is best known for the [[Weil conjectures|Weil Conjectures]] and his work on the [[Riemann hypothesis|Riemann Hypothesis]].

=== Cédric Villani ===

Cédric Villani is a French mathematician who was awarded the [[Fields Medal|Fields Medal]] in 2010 for his work on partial differential equations and mathematical physics. He is known for his work on the [[Boltzmann equation|Boltzmann Equation]] and [[Optimal transport|optimal transport]].

== See Also ==

* [[History of mathematics]]
* [[List of mathematicians]]
* [[Mathematics in France]]

[[Category:Mathematics]]
[[Category:French mathematicians]]
[[Category:History of mathematics]]