Columbia Encyclopedia

Search results

500 results found

Fresnel, Augustin Jean

(Encyclopedia)Fresnel, Augustin Jean ōgüstăNˈ zhäN frānĕlˈ [key] 1788–1827, French physicist and engineer. He is known for his research on light, especially on conditions governing interference phenomena ...

Thierry, Augustin

(Encyclopedia)Thierry, Augustin ōgüstăNˈ tyĕrēˈ [key], 1795–1856, French historian. His vivid literary style, romantic treatment of events, and use of contemporary documents helped to create interest in hi...

Calmet, Augustin

(Encyclopedia)Calmet, Augustin ōgüstăNˈ kälmāˈ [key], 1672–1757, French biblical scholar, a Benedictine abbot at Nancy and Sens. His critical commentaries were widely studied until the 19th cent. when the ...

Pajou, Augustin

(Encyclopedia)Pajou, Augustin ōgüstăNˈ päzho͞oˈ [key], 1730–1809, French sculptor. He won the Prix de Rome at the age of 18 and began a long career of royal commissions. He is noted for the elegance of his...

Daly, Augustin

(Encyclopedia)Daly, Augustin, 1838–99, American theatrical manager and dramatist, b. Plymouth, N.C. After 1859 he was drama critic for several New York City newspapers and adapted many plays from French and Germa...

Cournot, Antoine Augustin

(Encyclopedia)Cournot, Antoine Augustin äNtwänˈ ōgüstăNˈ ko͞ornōˈ [key], 1801–77, French mathematician and economist. He developed mathematical theories of chance and probability and was one of the firs...

Scribe, Augustin Eugène

(Encyclopedia)Scribe, Augustin Eugène ōgüstăNˈ özhĕnˈ skrēb [key], 1791–1861, French dramatist and librettist. He began his prolific and highly successful writing career with vaudeville sketches. One of ...

Cauchy, Augustin Louis, Baron

(Encyclopedia)Cauchy, Augustin Louis, Baron ōgüstăNˈ lwē bärôNˈ kōshēˈ [key], 1789–1857, French mathematician. He was professor simultaneously (1816–30) at the École polytechnique, the Sorbonne, and...

de Candolle, Augustin Pyrame

(Encyclopedia)de Candolle, Augustin Pyrame də käNdōlˈ [key], 1778–1841, Swiss botanist. Considered the most important Swiss botanist of his era, de Candolle wrote on a wide variety of botanical topics, from m...

Coulomb, Charles Augustin de

(Encyclopedia)Coulomb, Charles Augustin de ko͞oˈlŏm, ko͞olŏmˈ, Fr. shärl ōgüstăNˈ də ko͞olôNˈ [key], 1736–1806, French physicist. In 1789 he retired from his posts as military engineer and as super...