The son of poor parents, I was educated in a local country school but then attended and became a mathematics instructor at the Mezieres military academy.

I am considered to be the father of descriptive geometry, but many did not know anything about this creation as my ideas about engineering drawing were kept a military secret for more than 25 years.

In addition to contributing to the calculus of curves and 3-D surfaces, I did the first work on operational research via the transportation of materials for fortifications.

As a friend of Napoleon during the Revolution, I was made the Minister of the Navy and responsible for coordinating munitions.

However, once the Bourbons regained power, all of my titles and honors were stripped from me and I shortly died, once again a poor man.