Jean Robert Argand Biography

Jean Robert Argand invented a method of geometrically representing complex numbers and their operations. The Argand diagramis a graphic representation of complex numbers as points on a plane and their additions. He is also credited with giving proof, although with a few gaps, of the fundamental theorem of algebra. In 1814, Argand published a proof of the fundamental theorem of algebra, which may be the simplest of all proofs of this theorem.

Argand was born in Geneva, Switzerland, on July 18, 1768, to Jacques Argand and Eves Canac. Historians have limited knowledge of Argand's background and nothing is known of his education. Apparently, he was a self-taught mathematician, belonging to no mathematical societies or organizations. Mathematics appeared to be just a hobby to Argand. He has often been confused with Aime Argand, the physicist and chemist who had invented the Argand lamp, however, they are not related.

In 1806, Argand, his wife and children moved to Paris. He was working as an accountant when he published his method in a book entitled Essai sur une maiere de representer les quantities imaginaires. The book had been published in a small, privately printed edition but it did not include Argand's name. No one knew he wrote the book until sometime later.

How it came to light that Argand was the author is an unusual story. He may never have been credited with writing the book, had a set of curious circumstances not occurred. Around the time the book was published, two other mathematicians, Casper Wessel, a Norwegian and Karl Gauss , from Germany, were working on the same idea. However, neither had put their ideas into print, and Gauss is sometimes credited with writing the Essai.

Argand had spoken of his new method to Adrien M. Legendre before the book was published. Legendre spoke of the method in a letter to the brother of J.R. Français. Français was a lecturer at the Imperial College of Artillery at Paris. Français found the letter after his brother's death. In an essay published in the journal Annales de Mathematiques, Français discussed the idea of the new method and even developed it further. At the end of the piece, Français called for the author of the book to come forward and be recognized. Argand acknowledged his works by writing an article that was published in a later edition of the same journal.

Argand died in Paris on August 13, 1822, having contributed nothing more to the science of mathematics.