Augustin-Jean Fresnel

(born May 10, 1788 - died. July 14 , 1827 in Ville-d Avray near Paris) - French engineer and physic ist. For many years he worked in construction and repair of roads and bridges, leading the work in the field of optics, of fundame ntal importance, was one of the founders of the wave theory of light. In 1822 he discovered and explained the circular and elliptical polarization of light, explained the phenomenon of twisting the plane of polarization; examined the phenomenon of light passing through the 2 dielectrics and 1823 years formulated his right dwójłomności developed a theory of crystals and the annual aberration of starlight, conducted experiments on the influence of the earths motion on optical phenomenon, which became the basis of electrodynamics of moving bodies and the special theory of relativity.