Isaac Mathieu Weill (24 May 1851 – 5 November 1939) was a French

mathematician A mathematician is someone who uses an extensive knowledge of mathematics in their work, typically to solve mathematical problems. Mathematicians are concerned with numbers, data, quantity, structure, space, models, and change. History On ...

and principal of the

Collège Chaptal In France, secondary education is in two stages: * ''Collèges'' () cater for the first four years of secondary education from the ages of 11 to 15. * ''Lycées'' () provide a three-year course of further secondary education for children between ...

Biography

Mathieu Weill was born to a

Jewish Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...

family in

Haguenau Haguenau (; Alsatian: or ; and historically in English: ''Hagenaw'') is a commune in the Bas-Rhin department of France, of which it is a sub-prefecture. It is second in size in the Bas-Rhin only to Strasbourg, some to the south. To the ...

, the son of Valentine and Isidore Weill, a mathematics teacher. He was educated in the

lyceums The lyceum is a category of educational institution defined within the education system of many countries, mainly in Europe. The definition varies among countries; usually it is a type of secondary school. Generally in that type of school the th ...

Burg The German word Burg means castle. Burg or Bürg may refer to: Places Placename element * '' -burg'', a combining form in Dutch, German and English placenames * Burg, a variant of burh, the fortified towns of Saxon England Settlements * Burg, Aa ...

and Strasburg, and was admitted to the

École Polytechnique École may refer to: * an elementary school in the French educational stages normally followed by secondary education establishments (collège and lycée) * École (river), a tributary of the Seine flowing in région Île-de-France * École, Savoi ...

in 1870. He received a degree in mathematics in November 1872, and a degree in physical sciences in November 1876. Meanwhile, Weill began studies at the

military school A military academy or service academy is an educational institution which prepares candidates for service in the officer corps. It normally provides education in a military environment, the exact definition depending on the country concerned. ...

Fontainebleau Fontainebleau (; ) is a commune in the metropolitan area of Paris, France. It is located south-southeast of the centre of Paris. Fontainebleau is a sub-prefecture of the Seine-et-Marne department, and it is the seat of the ''arrondissement ...

in 1872. He attained the rank of

lieutenant A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations. The meaning of lieutenant differs in different militaries (see comparative military ranks), but it is often sub ...

artillery Artillery is a class of heavy military ranged weapons that launch munitions far beyond the range and power of infantry firearms. Early artillery development focused on the ability to breach defensive walls and fortifications during siege ...

, but resigned in April 1877. He married Delphine Lévi in 1878, with whom he had four children. That same year, he became a lecturer at the

at Paris. He was appointed professor of mathematics in 1881, and in October 1898 the school's principal. He was appointed Chevalier of the

Legion of Honour The National Order of the Legion of Honour (french: Ordre national de la Légion d'honneur), formerly the Royal Order of the Legion of Honour ('), is the highest French order of merit, both military and civil. Established in 1802 by Napoleon, ...

on 28 February 1904.

Publications

Weill published several essays in French mathematical journals, including the ''

Nouvelles Annales de Mathématiques The ''Nouvelles Annales de Mathématiques'' (subtitled ''Journal des candidats aux écoles polytechnique et normale'') was a French scientific journal in mathematics. It was established in 1842 by Olry Terquem and Camille-Christophe Gerono, and con ...

'' and the ''

Bulletin de la Société Mathématique de France '' Bulletin de la Société Mathématique de France'' is a mathematics journal published quarterly by Société Mathématique de France. Founded in 1873, the journal publishes articles on mathematics. It publishes articles in French and English. T ...

''. He was the author of "Cours de Géométrie Analytique" (1888) and of "Précis d'Arithmétique, de Géométrie, d'Algèbre, de Trigonométrie," in four volumes (1895–1897).

References

1851 births 1939 deaths 19th-century French mathematicians 20th-century French mathematicians Chevaliers of the Légion d'honneur École Polytechnique alumni 19th-century French Jews Heads of schools in France French geometers {{mathematician-stub