The Birthday of Gustave Eiffel (1832) — Mathematics of Towers

Gustave Eiffel, born 15 December 1832, designed the Eiffel Tower using mathematical principles of wind resistance and structural optimisation. The tower’s shape is not arbitrary — it follows an exponential curve that minimises material while resisting wind. Eiffel used the calculus of variations to derive the optimal profile. The tower also served as a meteorological and aerodynamic laboratory. Eiffel’s work on the Panama Canal locks and the Statue of Liberty’s internal frame all relied on applied mathematics: stress analysis, truss geometry, and hydrostatics.