André-Marie Ampère
- Born:
- January 20, 1775, Lyon, France
- Died:
- June 10, 1836, Marseille, France
- Nationality:
- French
- Profession(s):
- Physicist, Mathematician
Early Life and Education
- Ampère was a child prodigy with a remarkable aptitude for mathematics.
- He was largely self-taught, having access to his father's extensive library.
- The execution of his father during the French Revolution deeply affected him.
Career and Major Achievements
- Began teaching mathematics in Lyon.
- Professor of Physics and Chemistry at Bourg-en-Bresse (1801).
- Professor of Mathematics at the École Polytechnique (1809).
- Professor at the Collège de France (1824).
- Formulated Ampère's Law, describing the magnetic force between two electric currents.
- Developed the concept of electrodynamics.
- Made significant contributions to the fields of mathematics, including partial differential equations.
- Invented one of the first electric telegraphs.
Notable Works
- Considérations sur la théorie mathématique du jeu (1802)
- Essai sur la philosophie des sciences (1834, 1843)
Legacy and Impact
André-Marie Ampère's work laid the foundation for the field of electrodynamics and his contributions are essential to understanding electromagnetism. The SI unit of electric current, the Ampere, is named in his honor. This André-Marie Ampère biography highlights his impact on physics and mathematics.