Bernard Forest de Bélidor

Bernard Forest de Bélidor (1698, Catalonia, Spain – September 8, 1761, Paris, France) was a French engineer, significant to the development of the science of hydraulics.

Bélidor enlisted in the army at a young age. After leaving the army, he developed an interest in science and engineering, and became professor of artillery at the school of Fère-en-Tardenois in Aisne. For a while he worked on measuring the arc of the earth. In the years to come he published several works of great importance, on a wide range of subjects, including hydraulics, mathematics, and civil and military engineering. His most famous book is "L'architecture hydraulique" (published in four volumes from 1737-1753). Here, integral calculus is used for the first time in solving technical problems.

Bélidor was the teacher of Peter the Great’s Ethiopian favourite, Abram Petrovich Gannibal.

Works

*"Nouveau cours de mathématiques", 1725 (first use of the term "sinusoid")
*"La science des ingénieurs dans la conduite des travaux de fortification et d'architecture civile", 1729
*"Le bombardier français, ou, nouvelle méthode pour jeter des bombes avec précision. Tables", 1731
*"L'architecture hydraulique, ou l'art de conduire, d'élever et de ménager les eaux pour les différents besoins de la vie", (1737-1753)
*"Dictionnaire portatif de l'ingénieur", 1758

External links

* [http://gallica.bnf.fr/ Bélidor works in the French National Library]