Andre Weil Biography

Andre Weil was a French mathematician who laid the foundation of number theory and algebraic geometry. He was also a gifted linguist who read Sanskrit and many other languages, and was a sympathetic expert on Indian religious writings. He was a child prodigy and was drawn towards mathematics at a very young age. His interest met with full support from his family and he decided to pursue it as his profession. His mathematical genius is evident from his research on wide variety of subjects such as algebra, number theory, algebraic geometry, differential geometry, topology, Lie groups and Lie algebras. His most important achievement was the discovery of profound connections between algebraic geometry and the number theory. He was also fond of traveling and linguistics, with a deep respect for all the religions, especially Hinduism. During his stay in India, he was spiritually enlightened, an experience which stayed with him until the end. He also faced imprisonment for neglecting his duties in the French Army but was released after a while. He served as the professor of mathematics, throughout his life, in numerous universities around the world. His life was dedicated to mathematical study and he is counted among one of the most brilliant and influential mathematicians of the 20th century.