1801-1877

French mathematician who was among the first to apply mathematical principles and techniques to the study of economics. Cournot's early work in mechanics (a branch of physics) won him plaudits from Siméon Poisson, a prominent French mathematician of the time. With Poisson's recommendation, Cournot became a professor at Lyon and, later, in Grenoble, where he changed his interest to mathematical economics. Cournot's definition of the basic term "market" is still in use today, as are many of the tools he developed.