Augustin-Louis Cauchy

Born in Paris on 21 August 1789, Augustin-Louis Cauchy trained as both mathematician and engineer. He was among the first to rigorously state and prove calculus's key theorems, creating what became real analysis, then pioneered complex analysis and the study of permutation groups in abstract algebra. His work stretched into mathematical physics, particularly continuum mechanics. Prolific to an extreme, he published roughly eight hundred research articles and five complete textbooks. He died on 23 May 1857, having shaped the language of mathematics so thoroughly that more concepts and theorems carry his name than any other mathematician's.