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Henri Eugene PadeFrench mathematician, student of Charles Hermite
Date of Birth: 17.12.1863
Country:  France |
Content:
Early Life and Education
Henri Padé, a renowned French mathematician, was born on December 17, 1863, in Abbeville, Picardy, France. He received his baccalaureate degree from his hometown in 1881 and continued his studies in Paris.
Academic Career
In 1886, Padé obtained his Agrégation de Mathématiques and began teaching while seeking to publish his work (with the first publication appearing in 1888). In 1889, he journeyed to Germany, studying under Felix Klein and Karl Schwarz in Leipzig and Göttingen, respectively.
Upon returning to France in 1890, Padé resumed teaching and embarked on his doctoral dissertation under the guidance of Charles Hermite. In 1892, he submitted his dissertation titled "Sur la représentation approchée d'une fonction par des fractions rationelles" at the Sorbonne.
Contributions to Mathematics
Padé's dissertation introduced a method of approximating functions, later known as "Padé approximation." This method gained recognition after Émile Borel published his own description of Padé approximants, solidifying their popularity among mathematicians.
In 1906, Padé received the Grand Prix of the French Academy of Sciences and was appointed Dean of the Faculty of Science at the University of Bordeaux. By 1908, he had authored 41 papers, 29 of which focused on approximation.
