◀ ▲ ▶History / 19th-century / Person: Lucas, François Édouard Anatole
Person: Lucas, François Édouard Anatole
Edouard Lucas was a French mathematician who is best known for his results in number theory. He studied the Fibonacci sequence and devised the test for Mersenne primes still used today.
Mathematical Profile (Excerpt):
- During the Franco-Prussian War (1870-1871) Lucas served as an artillery officer.
- After the French were defeated, Lucas became professor of mathematics at the Lycée Saint Louis in Paris.
- Lucas is best known for his results in number theory: in particular he studied the Fibonacci sequence and the associated Lucas sequence is named after him.
- Lucas also devised methods of testing primality, essentially those used today.
- The Lucas test for primes was refined by Lehmer in 1930.
- Lucas is also well known for his invention of the Tower of Hanoi puzzle and other mathematical recreations.
- Lucas died as the result of a freak accident at a banquet when a plate was dropped and a piece flew up and cut his cheek.
Born 4 April 1842, Amiens, France. Died 3 October 1891, Paris, France.
View full biography at MacTutor
Tags relevant for this person:
Number Theory, Puzzles And Problems, Special Numbers And Numerals
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
