Augustin Louis Cauchy was born on August 21, 1789 in Paris. Cauchy studied classical languages at the École Centrale Panthéon, and then studied mathematics at École Polytechnique, and finally studied engineering at Ecole des Ponts et Chaussées. After graduation, Cauchy worked as an engineer on canal and port projects, in part to support Napolean's invasion fleet. In 1815, Cauchy switched to academia. Over the years, Cauchy held teaching positions at École Polytechnique, the University of Paris, and Collège de France.
Cauchy made important contributions to the theory of functions, infinite series, differential equations, and complex analysis. A remarkable number of theorems bear Cauchy's name, including the Cauchy-Schwarz inequality in analysis, the Cauchy integral formula in complex analysis, and the Cauchy criterion for convergence. In probability, Cauchy's name is linked with a distribution (now recognized as belonging to the Student \(t\) family, studied by William Gosset), that does not have a mean. In total, Cauchy published nearly 800 papers.
Cauchy was troubled by strained relations with colleagues throughout his professional life, due partly to his fierce religious and political convictions, and due partly to the turbulent times following the French revolution.