When and where was Jean-Baptiste Joseph Fourier born?
Jean-Baptiste Joseph Fourier was born on the 21st of March 1768 in Auxerre, Burgundy. His father worked as a tailor and died when Fourier was only nine years old.
Questions about Joseph Fourier
Short answers, pulled from the story.
What role did Napoleon Bonaparte assign to Jean-Baptiste Joseph Fourier during the Egyptian expedition?
Napoleon appointed him secretary of the Institut d'Égypte shortly after arrival. Fourier served as a scientific adviser to the French forces invading Egypt.
Which mathematical treatise did Jean-Baptiste Joseph Fourier publish in 1822?
Fourier published his treatise Théorie analytique de la chaleur in 1822. The book described heat flow using Newton's law of cooling as a foundation.
Who edited and published the unfinished manuscript by Jean-Baptiste Joseph Fourier after his death?
Claude-Louis Navier edited this work after Fourier's death and published it in 1831. The text contained original matter including Fourier's theorem on polynomial real roots.
How did Jean-Baptiste Joseph Fourier explain the discrepancy between calculated Earth temperatures and actual observations?
Fourier mistakenly believed interstellar space contributed significantly to atmospheric warmth. He referenced an experiment by Horace Bénédict de Saussure involving blackened cork vases.