author
Lyon Des Roys
An unusual French poet of the late 18th century, he is remembered for turning geometry into verse. Very little is known about his life, which gives his surviving work an added air of curiosity.
1 Audiobook
La géométrie en vers techniques
by Lyon Des Roys
About the author
Lyon-François des Roys was a French writer and poet active around the turn of the 19th century. The Bibliothèque nationale de France lists him as living from 1768 to 1804, and library and catalog records connect him with the work La géométrie en vers techniques.
That title is the clearest reason he still stands out today: instead of treating mathematics as dry instruction, he presented geometry in verse. The result is a small but memorable example of how writers in his era sometimes blended literature, teaching, and formal learning.
Reliable biographical details about him are scarce, so much of his personal story remains unclear. What can be said with confidence is that his name has survived through this distinctive book and its curious meeting of poetry and technical thought.