Abstract:
The famous Ecole Polytechnique opened in 1794 in Paris was reserved only for men. As usual, some of the students were slovens. Among such slovens was Antoine-August Le Blanc. A special eagerness to learning, he did not show.
Professor Lagrange, who was reading analysis course at the Ecole Polytechnique, requires that the students write weekly assignments on selected problems. Recently, a special attention of Lagrange began to cause the answer sheets signed by the name of «A.-A. Le Blanc». Professor could no longer ignore the brilliance of Monsieur Le Blanc’s answer sheets. Not only were Monsieur Le Blanc’s solutions marvelously ingenious but they showed a remarkable transformation in a student who had previously been notorious for his abysmal mathematical skills. Lagrange requested a meeting with the reformed student.
What happened next, and who is hiding under the pseudonym "Monsieur Le Blanc", you will know from the talk.
