
Geometry and philology: Cauchy's limits | Tangente
Between geometry and philology
The mathematician Olry Terquem's review of Cauchy's paper on polyhedra ends in a most curious fashion.


The mathematician Olry Terquem's review of Cauchy's paper on polyhedra ends in a most curious fashion.


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Cauchy is often credited with single-handedly founding complex analysis. The reality is subtler: although Cauchy gave the subject its structure and rigor, he drew on a wealth of earlier research, notably dating back to d’Alembert. Moreover, his involvement was prompted by debates between Laplace and Poisson over whether the use of complex numbers in integral calculations was legitimate. To understand Cauchy’s work, then, we must reconstruct its entire intellectual context.

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