The Encyclopedia Americana (1920)/Sturm, Jacques-Charles-Francois

STURM, stoorm, Jacques-Charles-Francois, French mathematician: b. Geneva, 29 Sept. 1803; d. Paris, 18 Dec. 1855. He studied at the Geneva College, passing the course before his 14th year, to enter the Academy course. He became, teacher to the son of Madame de Staël. In 1827 he was awarded the grand prize in mathematics and by 1829 he had propounded his great theorem “the solution of numercial equations,” which has done so much to assist in the advance of scientific research. He was successively appointed professor of special mathematics at the Rollin College (1830); was made member of the Académie des Sciences (1836), succeeding Ampère, and in 1840 he was made professor of analysis in the École Polytechnique and professor of mechanics to the faculty of sciences. Consult Liouville, ‘Discourse prononcé sur la tombe de Sturm,’ in Siècle (1855); Prouhet's ‘Notice’ in Nouvelles Annales Mathematiques (1856).