16.61 Aerospace Dynamics Spring 2003 Lagrange's equations Joseph-Louis lagrange 1736-1813 http://www-groups.dcs.st-and.ac.uk/-history/mathematicians/lagranGe.html Born in Italy. later lived in berlin and paris Originally studied to be a lawyer Interest in math from reading halleys 1693 work on algebra in optics If I had been rich, I probably would not have devoted myself to mathematics Contemporary of euler Bernoulli Leibniz. D Alembert Laplace, Legendre (Newton 1643-1727) e Contributions o Calculus of variations o Calculus of probabilities o Propagation of sound o Vibrating strings o Integration of differential equations Orbits o Number theory whatever this great man says, deserves the highest degree of consideration, but he is too abstract for youth student at ecole polytechnique Massachusetts Institute of Technology C How, Deyst 2003( Based on notes by Blair 2002)16.61 Aerospace Dynamics Spring 2003 Massachusetts Institute of Technology © How, Deyst 2003 (Based on notes by Blair 2002) 1 Lagrange’s Equations Joseph-Louis Lagrange 1736-1813 • http://www-groups.dcs.st-and.ac.uk/~history/Mathematicians/Lagrange.html • Born in Italy, later lived in Berlin and Paris. • Originally studied to be a lawyer • Interest in math from reading Halley’s 1693 work on algebra in optics • “If I had been rich, I probably would not have devoted myself to mathematics.” • Contemporary of Euler, Bernoulli, Leibniz, D’Alembert, Laplace, Legendre (Newton 1643-1727) • Contributions o Calculus of variations o Calculus of probabilities o Propagation of sound o Vibrating strings o Integration of differential equations o Orbits o Number theory o … • “… whatever this great man says, deserves the highest degree of consideration, but he is too abstract for youth” -- student at Ecole Polytechnique