Emile Picard

1856-1941

Emile Picard

He was born Charles Emile Picard on July 24, 1856 in Paris, France. When Picard was 22 years of age, he was appointed lecturer at the University of Paris. One year later, he obtained the position of professor at the University of Toulouse. In 1898, he became a professor at the Sorbonne in Paris.

In 1901, he was awarded the Fellow of the Royal Society. He married Hermite's daughter. Their daughter and two sons were killed in World War I and later on, his grandsons were wounded and captured in World War II.

With Georges Simart, Picard published a two-volume work called Theorie des fonctions algebriques de deux variables independantes in 1897 and then in 1906.

Picard contributed to mathematics in the following ways:

• in the field of analysis and analytic geometry
• utilized methods of successive approximation to show the existence of solutions to ordinary differential equations
• study of topology
• study of integrals
• study of algebraic geometry
• applied analysis to the study of elasticity, heat and electricity.

Emile Picard died in his birthplace on December 11, 1941.

Sites About Picard	Description
Picard Biography from the Encyclopaedia Britannica	A biography of Picard's life.
Charles Emile Picard	From the Mathematician's History Page

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Last updated April 26, 2000 by Annamae Lang and Nancy Yan