François Arago
| François Arago | |
|---|---|
 |
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| 19th Prime Minister of France | |
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In office 9 May 1848 – 24 June 1848 |
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| Preceded by | Jacques-Charles Dupont de l'Eure |
| Succeeded by | Louis-Eugène Cavaignac |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 26 February 1786 Estagel |
| Died | 2 October 1853 (aged 67) Paris |
| Political party | Moderate Republicans |
| Known for |
Rotary polarization Polarizer Eddy currents Fresnel–Arago laws Arago spot Arago's rotations |
Dominique François Jean Arago (Catalan: Domènec Francesc Joan Aragó), known simply as François Arago (French: [fʁɑ̃swa aʁaɡo]; Catalan: Francesc Aragó, IPA: [fɾənˈsɛsk əɾəˈɣo]) (26 February 1786 – 2 October 1853), was a French mathematician, physicist, astronomer, freemason, supporter of the carbonari and politician.
Arago was born at Estagel, a small village of 3,000 near Perpignan, in the département of Pyrénées-Orientales, France, where his father held the position of Treasurer of the Mint.
Arago was the eldest of four brothers. Jean (1788–1836) emigrated to North America and became a general in the Mexican army. Jacques Étienne Victor (1799–1855) took part in Louis de Freycinet's exploring voyage in the Uranie from 1817 to 1821, and on his return to France devoted himself to his journalism and the drama. The fourth brother, Étienne Vincent (1802–1892), is said to have collaborated with Honoré de Balzac in The Heiress of Birague, and from 1822 to 1847 wrote a great number of light dramatic pieces, mostly in collaboration.
Showing decided military tastes, François Arago was sent to the municipal college of Perpignan, where he began to study mathematics in preparation for the entrance examination of the École Polytechnique. Within two years and a half he had mastered all the subjects prescribed for examination, and a great deal more, and, on going up for examination at Toulouse, he astounded his examiner by his knowledge of J. L. Lagrange.
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