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Birth
Henri Poincare was born on 29 April 1854 in Nacy, France. Henri Poincare: A Short Animated Biographical Video -
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Early Education
Poincare was homeschooled by his mother until he started formal education in 1862 at Lycee, where he distinguished himself in mathematics and composition. He graduated in 1871, earning secondary education qualifications in science and letters. moderndaymath. “A (Very) Brief History of Henri Poincaré.” YouTube, 31 Mar. 2020, www.youtube.com/watch?v=2nCBQTKD7S8. -
Automorphic Functions
Poincare published his first major article. It covered how a specific class of automorphic functions should be treated. -
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The Qualitative Theory of Differential Equations
Poincare created a new branch of mathematics called The Qualitative Theory of Differential Equations. -
The Three-Body Problem
Henri Poincare solved a mathematical problem put forth by the King of Sweden, Oscar II, as a competition. The problem regarded the free motion of multiple orbiting bodies like the Sun, Moon, and Earth. Poincare's solution was the beginning of his work in celestial mechanics and a foundational basis for the "chaos theory." Poincaré, Henri. The three-body problem and the equations of dynamics: Poincaré’s foundational work on dynamical systems theory. Vol. 443. Springer, 2017. -
Science and Hypothesis
First published in 1092, "Science and Hypothesis" was Poincare's step into the philosophy of science that challenged traditional, linear questioning within scientific exploration. It focused on the roles of hypotheses, theories, and their relationships to empirical thinking and used examples from various scientific disciplines. Poincaré, Henri. Science and Hypothesis, by H. Poincaré With a Preface by J. Larmor. The Walter Scott Publishing Co., Scribner, 1914. -
Poincare Conjecture
The Poincare Conjecture was the first conjecture ever made on topology. It provides a mathematical way to conceptualize the shape of the universe and was not proven until 2002 by Grigori Pereloman. O'shea, Donal. The Poincaré conjecture: In search of the shape of the universe. Bloomsbury Publishing USA, 2008. -
The Value of Science
First published in 1905, it characterizes science as dynamic and always evolving. Poincare interrelates various scientific disciplines to show how they form reality and distinguishes between the logical and intuitive nature behind scientific exploration and understanding. Poincaré, H. (1907). The value of science, by H. Poincaré. Authorized translation with an introduction by George Bruce Halsted. With a special prefatory essay. Science Press, 1907. -
Death
Henri Poincare died on 17 July 1912 from an embolism shortly after having surgery for a prostate problem. During his life, Poincare contributed to a vast majority of fields that used mathematics and is known as the last universalist for this reason. His works in mathematics changed many perspectives, not only on mathematics, but on science.