A pioneer in the use of computers, Benoît Mandelbrot (1924–2010) developed a new scientific field with fractal geometry, applying his discoveries to a host of areas: mathematics, of course, but also physics, finance, linguistics… Refusing to be confined by existing theories, he preferred to begin by observing phenomena, thereby opening up new perspectives for 20th-century science.
A fragmented life
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Benoît Mandelbrot's life was far from uneventful, and his wide-ranging activities led him to collaborate on research as diverse as it was fruitful.
Born in Warsaw, Poland, on November 20, 1924, Benoît Mandelbrot was initially educated at home under the guidance of his uncle Loterman, who encouraged discovery rather than pursuing any predetermined goal. In 1936, financial difficulties prompted the family to settle in Paris, where another uncle already lived. Szolem Mandelbrojt was a founding member of the Bourbaki group and Jacques Hadamard's successor at the Collège de France. He would have a decisive influence on the young man's path.
Mandelbrot, who had learned French from his uncle Loterman, continued his studies at Lycée Rollin (now Jacques-Decour), but the German invasion drove the family first to Brive-la-Gaillarde and then to Tulle. At times forced to live under a false identity and enduring the break-up of his family, Mandelbrot nevertheless managed to enroll in post-secondary preparatory classes at Lycée du Parc in Lyon in January 1944. The experience was short-lived, as the Normandy landings led to the school's closure. He then moved to the countryside and became a stable boy. After the liberation of Paris, he returned to the capital and his family, intending to sit the entrance examinations for the École normale supérieure (ENS) and the École polytechnique.
