Augustin-Louis Cauchy was a French mathematician and physicist who made significant contributions to a number of fields, including mathematics, physics, and engineering. Cauchy is best known for his work on the theory of complex functions, which he developed in his 1815 book “Cours d’Analyse.”

Cauchy was born in 1789 in Aurillac, France. He attended the Ecole Polytechnique, where he studied mathematics and physics. Cauchy graduated from the school in 1807 with a degree in mathematics.

Cauchy made significant contributions to a number of fields, including mathematics, physics, and engineering. In 1827, he published his work on wave propagation, which showed that waves travel at a finite speed. Cauchy also made important contributions to the field of optics.

Cauchy died in 1857 in Sceaux, France. In 1858, he was posthumously awarded the Copley Medal.