École polytechnique

École polytechnique is a <a href="/facts/Grande_%25C3%25A9cole/WurCHwXN">grande école</a> located in <a href="/facts/Palaiseau/9TFCDFYX">Palaiseau</a>, France. It specializes in science and engineering and is a founding member of the <a href="/facts/Polytechnic_Institute_of_Paris/kwwadbpG">Polytechnic Institute of Paris</a>.
The school was founded in 1794 by mathematician <a href="/facts/Gaspard_Monge/JMvYFCFv">Gaspard Monge</a> during the <a href="/facts/French_Revolution/PIkDlrC0">French Revolution</a> and was militarized under <a href="/facts/Napoleon_I/8TKBIjPM">Napoleon I</a> in 1804. It is still supervised by the <a href="/facts/Ministry_of_Armed_Forces_(France)/lY8Xnw7I">French Ministry of Armed Forces</a>. Originally located in the <a href="/facts/Latin_Quarter%2c_Paris/vDt3YAGk">Latin Quarter</a> in central Paris, the institution moved to Palaiseau in 1976, in the <a href="/facts/Paris-Saclay/HzI7PXx9">Paris-Saclay technology cluster</a>.
French engineering students undergo initial military training and have the status of paid <a href="/facts/Aspirant/koUH5NX2">officer cadets</a>. The school has also been awarding doctorates since 1985, masters since 2005 and bachelors since 2017. Most Polytechnique engineering graduates go on to become top executives in companies, senior civil servants, military officers, or researchers.
<a href="/facts/List_of_%25C3%2589cole_Polytechnique_alumni/UIpVmDkR">Its alumni</a> from the engineering graduate program include three <a href="/facts/Nobel_Prize/3z1Y3oFL">Nobel Prize</a> winners, a <a href="/facts/Fields_Medal/khFmkEnm">Fields Medalist</a>, three <a href="/facts/Presidents_of_France/cWXTSDyW">presidents of France</a> and many CEOs of French and international companies. The school has produced renowned mathematicians such as <a href="/facts/Augustin-Louis_Cauchy/aoTjgj6j">Augustin-Louis Cauchy</a>, <a href="/facts/Gaspard-Gustave_de_Coriolis/yY2V2C6f">Gaspard-Gustave de Coriolis</a>, <a href="/facts/Henri_Poincar%25C3%25A9/AazL2j4X">Henri Poincaré</a>, <a href="/facts/Laurent_Schwartz/Kxelk3ju">Laurent Schwartz</a> and <a href="/facts/Benoit_Mandelbrot/fa8tKP93">Benoît Mandelbrot</a>, physicists such as <a href="/facts/Henri_Becquerel/wN7DSsVL">Henri Becquerel</a>, <a href="/facts/Nicolas_L%25C3%25A9onard_Sadi_Carnot/atzzIKJB">Nicolas Léonard Sadi Carnot</a>, <a href="/facts/Andr%25C3%25A9-Marie_Amp%25C3%25A8re/qk01uas1">André-Marie Ampère</a> and <a href="/facts/Augustin-Jean_Fresnel/jb64tyGc">Augustin-Jean Fresnel</a>, and economists <a href="/facts/Maurice_Allais/Vhz8zkWf">Maurice Allais</a> and <a href="/facts/Jean_Tirole/cIu3pK0t">Jean Tirole</a>. French <a href="/facts/Marshal_of_France/wPj5T63p">Marshals</a> <a href="/facts/Joseph_Joffre/cSThV6PN">Joseph Joffre</a>, <a href="/facts/Ferdinand_Foch/XFF4WkeU">Ferdinand Foch</a>, <a href="/facts/%25C3%2589mile_Fayolle/LV4DM9Vx">Émile Fayolle</a> and <a href="/facts/Michel-Joseph_Maunoury/FuAcDh6J">Michel-Joseph Maunoury</a> were also notable Polytechnique engineering graduates.

École polytechnique open-in-new

École polytechnique