François d'Aguilon

François d'Aguilon (also d'Aguillon or in Latin Franciscus Aguilonius) (4 January 1567, Brussels (Belgium) – 20 March 1617, Tournai (Belgium), was a Belgian Jesuit mathematician, physicist and architect.

He became a Jesuit in 1586. In 1611, he started a special school of mathematics, in Antwerp, which intended to perpetuate the mathematical research and study in the Jesuit society. This school produced geometers like André Tacquet and Jean-Charles de la Faille.

His book, "Opticorum Libri Sex philosophis juxta ac mathematicis utiles" (Six Books of Optics, useful for philosophers and mathematicians alike), published in Antwerp in 1613, was illustrated by famous painter Peter Paul Rubens. It was notable for containing the principles of the stereographic and the orthographic projections, and it inspired the works of Desargues and Christiaan Huygens.

He died in Antwerp.Dubious|date=March 2008

References

*
* http://www.faculty.fairfield.edu/jmac/sj/scientists/aguilon.htm

Further reading

* cite encyclopedia
last = Morère
first = J.E.
title = Aguilon, François d'
encyclopedia = Dictionary of Scientific Biography
volume = 1
pages = 81
publisher = Charles Scribner's Sons
location = New York
date = 1970
isbn = 0684101149
*