Joseph Fourier

About

French mathematician and physicist who started the investigation of Fourier series and their applications to problems of heat transfer and vibrations. He also discovered the greenhouse effect.

Before Fame

He served on the local Revolutionary Committee during the French Revolution and was imprisoned briefly during the Reign of Terror.

Trivia

He was elected a foreign member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences in 1830.

Family Life

His father was a tailor who worked in Auxerre. He had three children with his first wife.

Associated With

He went with Napoleon Bonaparte on his Egyptian expedition in 1798, and was made governor of Lower Egypt.