Lagrange, << luh GRAYNJ or lah GRAHNZH, >> Joseph-Louis (1736-1813), was a French mathematician. He wrote on algebra, calculus, and number theory. His most famous work, Analytical Mechanics (1788), is a purely algebraic study of forces and motions, including the orbits of planets, the flow of liquids, and the vibration of strings. Lagrange was born in Turin, Italy, on Jan. 25, 1736. At age 19, he became a mathematics professor at Turin’s royal artillery school. He later was a mathematician at the court of Frederick the Great of Prussia. Lagrange also taught mathematics in Paris. Lagrange died on April 10, 1813.
