Jean Montucla had a varied career as a historian of mathematics, secretary and astronomer on an expedition to Cayenne, a government functionary, and even the royal censor of mathematical works. J. J. O'Connor and E. F. Robertson quote E. Riddle (from his "Preface to Recreations in Science and Natural Philosophy", London, 1844, vi-vii) in their short biography of Montucla, that Montucla "so greatly enlarged and improved a book written by Jacques Ozanam on mathematical puzzles and recreations." O'Connor and Robertson then write about Montucla that "His work was influential in popularising geometric dissection problems." Below is a portrait of Montucla that was supplied with their article.
The portrait of Montucla is from the St. Andrews website.
Other material: copyright 2019, Greg N. Frederickson.
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Dissections: Plane & Fancy
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Last updated June 6, 2019.