Person: Ozanam, Jacques
Jacques Ozanam was a French mathematician who was a popular writer of text-books.
Mathematical Profile (Excerpt):
- Although his education was aimed towards the study of theology, Jacques developed a liking for other topics, particularly science and mathematics.
- The thoughts of becoming a priest did not suit Ozanam who seems to have enjoyed socialising, enjoyed gambling, and enjoyed spending money.
- Ozanam was a generous man, despite always being short of money, and it was an act of great generosity which led to him moving from Lyon to Paris.
- One day Ozanam met two strangers who did not have sufficient money to allow them to return to Paris.
- Daguesseau, about Ozanam's generosity.
- Of course Paris was a place where someone like Ozanam would find it easy to spend money, and indeed he did.
- After his marriage Ozanam's conduct was exemplary; always of a mild and cheerful disposition, he became sincerely pious ...
- It is certainly for this last work on recreational mathematics that Ozanam will be most remembered.
- Ozanam based his book on earlier works by Bachet, Mydorge, Leurechon, and Schwenter.
- Ozanam's income from his tutoring, which was mainly to foreign students, dropped dramatically.
- The year 1701 was also not entirely bad for Ozanam for in that year he was admitted as an élève in the Académie Royale des Sciences.
- As well as mathematics, Ozanam was also interested in cartography and military engineering.
- However Ozanam argued against Martinelli's ideas, claiming that well-dried, pulverized eggshell made a better substance for use in an hour-glass since it is less affected by humidity than most other substances.
- Ozanam wrote many works on science and applications of mathematics including Méthode de lever les plans et les cartes de terre et de mer (1691), Traité de la fortification régulière et irrégulière (1691), Méthode facile pour arpenter et mesurer toutes sortes de superficies (1699), La perspective théorique et practique (1711) and La géographie et cosmographie qui traite de la sphere (1711).
Born 16 June 1640, Sainte-Olive, Bresse, France. Died 3 April 1718, Paris, France.
View full biography at MacTutor
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Puzzles And Problems
Thank you to the contributors under CC BY-SA 4.0! 
- Github:
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- non-Github:
- @J-J-O'Connor
- @E-F-Robertson
References
Adapted from other CC BY-SA 4.0 Sources:
- O’Connor, John J; Robertson, Edmund F: MacTutor History of Mathematics Archive
