Ampere, Andre

[person]

French mathematician born in Poleymieux, Lyon (1775-1836). Ampere researched metaphysics, physics, and chemistry, but he focused on mathematics, which he taught at the Ecole Polytechnique in Paris. His key contributions to science include his work on partial differential equations, the discovery of fluorine, and studies on the wave theory of light. His most important work was the Memoir on the Mathematical Theory of Electrodynamic Phenomena, Uniquely Deduced from Experience, in which he described a mathematical derivation for the electrodynamic force law. The Amp (a measurement of electrical current) is named in his honor.