Joseph Fourier
Awards & Honours
0
Awards Won
2
Honours
2
Records
Fourier's name is attached to some of the most fundamental concepts in mathematics and physics: the Fourier series, Fourier transform, Fourier's law, and the Fourier number. In 2018, France commemorated the 250th anniversary of his birth, with the French Mathematical Society declaring it the 'year of Joseph Fourier.' His work remains central to fields from signal processing to quantum mechanics.
Honours & Distinctions
Fourier series, Fourier transform, Fourier's law, Fourier number named after him
Multiple fundamental concepts in mathematics and physics bear his name.
Year of Joseph Fourier
France commemorated the 250th anniversary of his birth, with the Mathematical Society declaring 2018 the 'year of Joseph Fourier.'
Records & Feats
First mathematical description of the greenhouse effect
Fourier calculated that Earth's temperature should be about 16°C below zero given solar energy received, but Earth averages about 16°C above, a 32-degree difference. He concluded that the atmosphere traps heat.
Most eponymous concepts for a single scientist in mathematical physics
Fourier's name is attached to Fourier series, Fourier transform, Fourier's law, Fourier number, and Fourier–Motzkin elimination, a remarkable number of enduring eponyms.