Joseph-Louis Lagrange
1736–1813 · Italian-French · Enlightenment / Napoleonic Era
Known for: Reformulated classical mechanics and made major contributions to number theory and algebra
Lagrange's Mecanique Analytique reformulated all of mechanics in pure mathematical analysis—without a single diagram. It was the most elegant physics book ever written. He also made fundamental contributions to number theory, algebra, and calculus of variations.
He survived the French Revolution (unlike his friend Lavoisier), telling a colleague: 'It took them only an instant to cut off his head, but France may not produce another such head in a century.'
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