Émile Borel facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Émile Borel
|
|
|---|---|
Émile Borel (1932)
|
|
| Minister of the Navy | |
| In office 17 April 1925 – 28 November 1925 |
|
| Prime Minister | Paul Painlevé |
| Preceded by | Jacques-Louis Dumesnil |
| Succeeded by | Georges Leygues |
| Member of the Chamber of Deputies | |
| In office 15 June 1924 – 4 June 1936 |
|
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Félix Édouard Justin Émile Borel
7 January 1871 Saint-Affrique, France |
| Died | 3 February 1956 (aged 85) Paris, France |
| Nationality | French |
| Alma mater | École normale supérieure Paris |
| Known for | Measure theory Probability theory Heine–Borel theorem |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Mathematics |
| Institutions | University of Paris |
| Thesis | Sur quelques points de la théorie des fonctions (1893) |
| Doctoral advisor | Gaston Darboux |
| Doctoral students |
|
Émile Borel (born Félix Édouard Justin Émile Borel; 7 January 1871 – 3 February 1956) was a famous French mathematician and politician. He is well-known for his important work in areas like measure theory and probability.
Contents
About Émile Borel
Émile Borel was born in Saint-Affrique, Aveyron, France. His father was a Protestant pastor. Émile was a very bright student from a young age. He studied at top schools like the Collège Sainte-Barbe and Lycée Louis-le-Grand.
In 1889, he got into both the École normale supérieure and the École Polytechnique, which are very difficult schools to enter in France. He chose the École normale supérieure. That same year, he won a big national math competition called the concours général.
After finishing his studies in 1892, he came first in another tough exam called the agrégation. This exam helped him become a professor. In 1893, he wrote his main research paper, called "On some points in the theory of functions."
Émile Borel then taught at the University of Lille for four years. During this time, he wrote 22 research papers! In 1897, he went back to the École normale supérieure. He became a professor there and taught until 1941.
In 1901, Borel married Marguerite, who was 17 years old. She was the daughter of his friend and colleague, Paul Émile Appel. Marguerite later became a writer and wrote over 30 novels using the pen name Camille Marbo. Émile Borel passed away in Paris on 3 February 1956.
Émile Borel's Discoveries
Émile Borel was a pioneer in two big areas of mathematics: measure theory and probability theory. He worked alongside other famous mathematicians like René-Louis Baire and Henri Lebesgue.
Measure Theory and Probability
Measure theory is about finding the "size" or "length" of sets of numbers. Probability theory is about understanding how likely events are to happen. Borel's work helped connect these two ideas. For example, a special kind of set called a Borel set is named after him.
He also wrote a book on probability that included a fun idea. This idea is now known as the infinite monkey theorem. It suggests that if a monkey randomly types on a keyboard forever, it would eventually type out all the books in the world!
Game Theory
From 1921 to 1927, Borel wrote several papers that first described games of strategy. Game theory is a field of mathematics that studies how people make decisions when their success depends on the choices of others. It's used in economics, politics, and even in games like chess or poker.
Random Numbers
In 1909, Borel came up with the idea that numbers chosen randomly are almost always "normal." A normal number is one where every digit (0-9) appears about the same number of times. Also, every pair of digits (00, 01, etc.) appears about the same number of times, and so on.
Connecting Math and Physics
In 1913 and 1914, Borel helped link hyperbolic geometry with special relativity. Hyperbolic geometry is a type of geometry where parallel lines can meet. Special relativity is Albert Einstein's theory about how space and time are connected. Borel's work helped people understand these complex ideas better.
Founding Institutes
Émile Borel also helped create important scientific places. In 1922, he started the Paris Institute of Statistics, which is the oldest school for statistics in France. Then, in 1928, he helped found the Institut Henri Poincaré in Paris, which is a famous center for math and physics research.
Political Life
Besides being a brilliant mathematician, Émile Borel was also active in politics. From 1924 to 1936, he was a member of the Chamber of Deputies, which is like a part of the French parliament.
In 1925, he even served as the Minister of the Navy. This meant he was in charge of France's navy! He worked in the government of another mathematician, Paul Painlevé, who was the Prime Minister.
During World War II, Émile Borel was a member of the French Resistance. This group secretly fought against the occupation of France.
Honors and Legacy
Many things are named after Émile Borel to honor his contributions:
- The Centre Émile Borel at the Institut Henri Poincaré in Paris.
- A crater on the Moon.
- Many mathematical ideas and theorems, such as:
- Borel algebra
- Borel's lemma
- Borel's law of large numbers
- Borel measure
- Borel–Kolmogorov paradox
- Borel–Cantelli lemma
- Borel–Carathéodory theorem
- Heine–Borel theorem
- Borel determinacy theorem
- Borel right process
- Borel set
- Borel summation
- Borel distribution
Borel also wrote about a type of poker game called La Relance in his 1938 book, Applications de la théorie des probabilités aux Jeux de Hasard (Applications of Probability Theory to Games of Chance).
In 1950, he received the Resistance Medal for his brave actions during World War II.
Books by Émile Borel
Émile Borel wrote many books on mathematics and other topics. Here are a few examples:
- On a few points about the theory of functions (1894)
- Chance (1914)
- Geometrical introduction to some physical theories (1914)
- Space and time (1921)
- Game theory and left symmetric core integral equations (1921)
- A treatise on probability calculation and its applications (1924–1934)
- Application of probability theory to games of chance (1938)
- Mathematical theory of contract bridge for everyone (1940)
- Probabilities and life (1943)
- Paradoxes of the infinite (1946)
- Elements of set theory (1949)
- Probability and certainty (1950)
See also
In Spanish: Émile Borel para niños
- Borel right process
