Gaspar Monge

Gaspard Monge (1746–1818) developed descriptive geometry while working on military fortifications, discovering how three-dimensional structures could be represented with absolute geometric precision on two-dimensional planes. The French military kept his method a classified state secret for fifteen years.

During the French Revolution, Monge served as Minister of the Navy, organized weapons manufacturing, and co-founded the legendary Ecole Polytechnique in 1794. He accompanied Napoleon on the expedition to Egypt, co-founding the Institut d'Egypte in Cairo.