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Jean le Rond d'Alembert

Meet a super-smart thinker who helped create a giant book of knowledge and figured out how waves move!

Images

Portret van Jean Le Rond d'Alembert J. d'Alembert (titel op object), RP-P-2010-329-94

Portret van Jean Le Rond d'Alembert J. d'Alembert (titel op object), RP-P-2010-329-94

openverse
Portret van Jean Le Rond d'Alembert, RP-P-1911-2104
Jean le Rond D'Alembert, painted portrait DDC_1190
Jean Le Rond d'Alembert (1717-1783), 1824, ND493
<div class='fn'> Jean le Rond d'Alembert. Line engraving.</div>
Jean le Rond d'Alembert print Wikipedia page
<div class='fn'> Jean le Rond d'Alembert. Stipple engraving by W. Hopwood aft</div>
Jean le Rond d'Alembert. Stipple
<div class='fn'> Jean le Rond d'Alembert. Photogravure.</div>
Schwerin, Schloss, Jean-Antoine Houdon, Büste von Jean Le Rond d'Alembert
Jean Le Rond d'Alembert (1717-1783), 1824, ND493(2)
<div class='fn'> Jean le Rond d'Alembert. Colour mezzotint by P. M. Alix afte</div>

Key Facts

Born
November 16, 1717.
Birthplace
Paris, France.
Known For
Co-editing the Encyclopédie and d'Alembert's formula for wave equations.
Career
Mathematician, physicist, philosopher, and music theorist.
Fun Fact
He helped create a giant book that was like the internet of its time!

Who Was This Brainy Guy?

Imagine a super-smart person from a long, long time ago named Jean le Rond d'Alembert! He was like a superhero of brains, good at math, science, and even music. He lived in France, a country far away, and was born way back in 1717. That's older than your grandparents' grandparents! He loved solving puzzles and understanding how the world worked.

Building a Giant Book of Everything!

Jean d'Alembert helped create something amazing called the Encyclopédie. Think of it as a giant, super-thick book filled with information about almost everything! It was like the internet of its time, but on paper. He worked with his friend Denis Diderot to gather all sorts of knowledge. This book helped people learn about science, art, and so much more.

Waves on the Move!

Did you know Jean d'Alembert was a whiz at understanding waves? Like waves in the ocean or even sound waves that let you hear music. He came up with a special math formula, like a secret code, to explain how these waves travel. It's called d'Alembert's formula, and scientists still use it today to study all sorts of moving things!

A Smarty Pants with Big Ideas

Jean d'Alembert was a true genius! He didn't just study one thing; he was interested in math, physics (how things move and work), and even how music sounds. His ideas helped people understand the world better. He was so important that some big math ideas are named after him, like a special way to solve tricky math problems called the fundamental theorem of algebra.

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