CERAMATHS–DMATHS Seminar: presentation by Frédéric Métin

The CÉRAMATHS Department of Mathematics seminar series will welcome Frédéric Métin (University of Dijon) at 2.00 pm on Thursday 19 November 2026 for the following talk:

Allain Manesson Mallet in Portugal: engineer or impostor? A geometric investigation

Allain Manesson Malet is well known in the history of mathematics as the author of Géométrie Pratique (1702), which features magnificent illustrations. In his treatise on fortifications Les Travaux de Mars (1671), he presents himself as an engineer and field marshal in the armies of the King of Portugal, and highlights his achievements in that country. However, Luis Serrão Pimentel’s treatise on fortifications (1680)—Pimentel being the chief engineer of the Kingdom of Portugal—contains a severe criticism of Manesson Mallet, who is alleged to have taken credit for the work of other engineers.
As Portugal served as a testing ground for geometric fortification during the War of the Restoration (1640–1668), will an examination of the fortresses that still exist, and a comparison with the plans from the time of their construction, enable us to separate fact from fiction? In other words, will geometry enable us to answer our question: was Allain Manesson Mallet an engineer or an impostor?