Augustin-Jean Fresnel

Augustin-Jean Fresnel (Known as "Fresnel")

Physicist, Civil Engineer, Proved the Wave Theory of Light, Inventor of the Fresnel Lighthouse Lens

Born May 10, 1788

Broglie (Eure, Normandy), France

Passed Away Jul 14, 1827 Ville-d'Avray (near Paris), France

Lifespan 39 years old

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Notice / Correction

"All the energy of my life has been devoted to demonstrating that light is an undulation of the ether, and guiding ships through the darkness."

Archival Overview

Pioneering French physicist and civil engineer whose mathematical and experimental wave theory proved that light consists of transverse waves, and whose stepped Fresnel lens revolutionized world maritime lighthouse illumination.

Biographical Record

A civil engineer of the Corps des Ponts et Chaussées in Normandy, Fresnel began optical experiments during political leave in 1815. Challenging Isaac Newton's reigning corpuscular particle theory of light, he formulated the wave theory of diffraction and interference using mathematical integrals.

In 1818, his wave theory predicted that a bright spot of light must appear at the exact center of the shadow of a circular disk (Poisson's spot), which François Arago experimentally confirmed, decisively establishing wave optics. In 1822, Fresnel invented the composite stepped lighthouse lens, saving thousands of sailor lives across the globe.

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Rest in Peace Forever remembered and cherished Your legacy lives on in all of us With deep gratitude for your life and light

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Final Resting Place

Perpetual Memorial

Père Lachaise Cemetery (Division 14)
Paris, France

                         GPS: 48.8617, 2.3944                    

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