Lyon, France, was a bustling city in the late sixteenth century. It was a hub for commerce, banking, and intellectual discourse. And it was here, in 1591, that Gérard Desargues was born into a prominent family. His father, Étienne Desargues, was a magistrate and a city official, which meant that young Gérard grew up in an environment surrounded by influential
Today, we’re traveling back to the seventeenth century to meet a lesser-known figure in mathematics: Claude Mydorge. While not a household name like Descartes or Fermat, Mydorge contributed to the mathematical conversations of his time and quietly left a mark on the geometric landscape. So, who was Claude Mydorge, and why should we care about him today? Let’s unpack his story.
Francois Viète’s cryptanalysis marked a turning point in the French Wars of Religion, but his genius methods weren’t as complex as one might think.
Agree to disagree. Sometimes it is this agreement that holds an unexpected friendship together. Such was the case between two great philosophers, Plato and Archytas.