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Charles Hermite

Born

in Dieuze, Moselle, France

December 24, 1822

Died

January 14, 1901

Website

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Hermite

Genre

Science, Mathematics, Number Theory

Influences

Carl Friedrich Gauss, Joseph-Louis Lagrange, Niels Henrik Abel, Henri ...more

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Charles Hermite (French pronunciation: [ʃaʁl ɛʁˈmit]) was a French mathematician who did research on number theory, quadratic forms, invariant theory, orthogonal polynomials, elliptic functions, and algebra.

Hermite polynomials, Hermite interpolation, Hermite normal form, Hermitian operators, and cubic Hermite splines are named in his honor. One of his students was Henri Poincaré.

He was the first to prove that e, the base of natural logarithms, is a transcendental number. His methods were later used by Ferdinand von Lindemann to prove that π is transcendental.

In a letter to Thomas Stieltjes in 1893, Hermite famously remarked: "I turn with terror and horror from this lamentable scourge of continuous functions with no derivatives."

Hermite was Charles Hermite (French pronunciation: [ʃaʁl ɛʁˈmit]) was a French mathematician who did research on number theory, quadratic forms, invariant theory, orthogonal polynomials, elliptic functions, and algebra.

Hermite polynomials, Hermite interpolation, Hermite normal form, Hermitian operators, and cubic Hermite splines are named in his honor. One of his students was Henri Poincaré.

He was the first to prove that e, the base of natural logarithms, is a transcendental number. His methods were later used by Ferdinand von Lindemann to prove that π is transcendental.

In a letter to Thomas Stieltjes in 1893, Hermite famously remarked: "I turn with terror and horror from this lamentable scourge of continuous functions with no derivatives."

Hermite was born in Dieuze, Moselle on 24 December 1822, with a deformity in his right foot which would affect his gait for the rest of his life. He was the sixth of seven children of Ferdinand Hermite, and his wife Madeleine Lallemand. His father worked in his mother's family drapery business, and also pursued a career as an artist. The drapery business relocated to Nancy in 1828 and so did the family.

He studied at the Collège de Nancy and then, in Paris, at the Collège Henri IV and at the Lycée Louis-le-Grand. Hermite wanted to study at the École Polytechnique and he took a year preparing for the examinations and was tutored by Catalan between 1841 and 1842.

In 1842 Hermite entered the École Polytechnique, where he remained as a student for one year. Hermite was refused the right to continue his studies at the École Polytechnique because of his disability (École Polytechnique is to this day a military academy). He had to fight to regain his place which he won but with strict conditions imposed. Hermite found this unacceptable and decided to leave the École Polytechnique without graduating.

As a boy he read some of the writings of Joseph Louis Lagrange on the solution of numerical equations, and of Carl Friedrich Gauss on the theory of numbers. In 1842, his first original contribution to mathematics, in which he gave a simple proof of the proposition of Niels Henrik Abel concerning the impossibility of obtaining an algebraic solution for the equation of the fifth degree, was published in the "Nouvelles Annales de Mathématiques".

An inspiring teacher, Hermite strove to cultivate admiration for simple beauty and discourage rigorous minuteness. His correspondence with Thomas Stieltjes testifies to the great aid he gave those entering scientific life. His published courses of lectures have exercised a wide influence. His important original contributions to pure mathematics, published in the leading mathematical journals of the world, dealt chiefly with Abelian and elliptic functions and the theory of numbers. In 1858 he solved the equation of the fifth degree by elliptic functions; and in 1873 he proved e, the base of the natural system of logarithms, to be transcendental. This last was used by Ferdinand von Lindemann to prove in 1882 the same for π. ...more

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Charles Hermite’s books

Average rating: 5.0 · 1 rating · 1 review · 93 distinct works

	Sur la fonction exponentielle it was amazing 5.00 avg rating — 1 rating — 15 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Sur La Théorie Des Équations Modulaires Et La Résolution de l'Équation Du Cinquième Degré (Sciences) 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings — published 2013 — 16 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Sur L'Équation du 5 Degré 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings — published 2009 — 4 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Correspondance d'Hermite et de Stieltjes: publiée par les soins de B. Baillaud Volume 1 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings — 8 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Uebersicht der Theorie der elliptischen Funktionen by Charles Hermite, Leopold Asn Natani 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings — 16 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	uvres de Charles Hermite, Vol. 3: Publiées Sous les Auspices de l'Académie des Sciences (Classic Reprint) 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings — 13 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Oeuvres de Charles Hermite. Tome 1 (Sciences) 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings — 9 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Cours de M. Hermite: Rédigé en 1882 par M. Andoyer, Élève de l École Normale (Classic Reprint) 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Cours d'Analyse de l'École Polytechnique, Vol. 1 (Classic Reprint) 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings — 4 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Œuvres de Charles Hermite 4 Volume Paperback Set 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

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Quotes by Charles Hermite (?)

“Abel has left mathematicians enough to keep them busy for five hundred years.”
― Charles Hermite

tags: abel, busy, genius, math, mathematician, mathematics, niels-henrik-abel, science

3 likes

“Develop the imagination. Everything comes from that. If you want mathematicians, give your children fairy tales.”
― Charles Hermite

2 likes

“Analysis takes back with one hand what it gives us with the other I recoil with fear and loathing from that deplorable evil, continuous functions with no derivatives.”
― Charles Hermite

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Charles Hermite’s Followers (6)

Charles Hermite

Combine EditionsCharles Hermite’s books

Combine Editions
Charles Hermite’s books