Profession: Mechanical Engineer and Mathematician
Biography: Nicolas Léonard Sadi Carnot was a French mechanical engineer, known as the "father of thermodynamics." While he published only one book, this text was profoundly influential as it representing the first successful theory of efficiency in combustion engines; thus laying the foundations for thermodynamics.
While Carnot was little known in his own lifetime, his Reflections on the Motive Power of Fire later attracted the interest of Rudolf Clausius and Lord Kelvin. These two formalised the field now known as thermodynamics by defining entropy and outlining the second law of thermodynamics.
Carnot's work was significant for providing a purely technical investigation, which then provided the basis for later theoretical treatments of the same. This work thus laid the foundations for later breakthroughs such as the automobile and jet engine.
Born: June 1, 1796
Birthplace: Paris, France
Star Sign: Gemini
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