FOURIER Jean Baptiste Joseph Mémoire sur la statique, contenant la démonstration du principe des vitesses virtuelles, et la théorie des momens.

First edition of this rare memoire, published in Journal de l’École Polytechnique, Ve cahier, p. 20, année 1798.

From its creation in 1795, Jean Baptiste Joseph Fourier (1768-1830) was attached to the École Polytechnique, where he worked as a police administrator and assisted Gaspard Monge and Joseph Lagrange in their lectures. Arrested under false pretences, Fourier was released under pressure from his colleagues and was part of the scientific commission during the Expedition to Egypt. When Napoleon returned to France in 1801, he noticed Fourier’s brilliant mind and entrusted him with the management of the Isère department under the title of prefect.

This memoir is entirely devoted to equilibrium – Fourier refers to Stévin, among others – and analytical mechanics.

Good copy.