René Thom

French mathematician (1923–2002)
Person human Q164428
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René Thom

Summary

René Thom is a human[1]. His place of birth was Montbéliard[2]. He was born on September 2, 1923[3]. He passed away in Bures-sur-Yvette[4]. He died on October 25, 2002[5]. He worked as a mathematician[6] and university teacher[7]. He ranks in the top 0.72% of human entities by monthly Wikipedia readership (323 views/month, #7,222 of 1,000,298).[8]

Key Facts

  • Born in Montbéliard[2], René Thom…
  • René Thom passed away in Bures-sur-Yvette[4].
  • René Thom was born on September 2, 1923[3].
  • René Thom died on October 25, 2002[5].
  • Burial took place at Q110338352[9].
  • A child of René Thom was Françoise Thom[10].
  • René Thom held citizenship in France[11].
  • René Thom worked as a mathematician[6].
  • René Thom's professions included university teacher[7].
  • René Thom's field of work was topology[12].
  • René Thom held the position of chairperson[13].
  • René Thom was employed by Institut des Hautes Études Scientifiques[14].
  • René Thom was employed by Grenoble Alpes University[15].
  • Among René Thom's employers was National Center for Scientific Research[16].
  • Among René Thom's employers was University of Strasbourg[17].
  • René Thom's education included a stint at École Normale Supérieure[18].
  • René Thom's education included a stint at Lycée Saint-Louis[19].
  • René Thom's education included a stint at University of Paris[20].
  • René Thom's doctoral advisor was Henri Cartan[21].
  • A notable work attributed to René Thom is catastrophe theory[22].
  • A notable work attributed to René Thom is Dold–Thom theorem[23].
  • A notable work attributed to René Thom is Thom–Sebastiani Theorem[24].
  • A notable work attributed to René Thom is Thom isomorphism[25].
  • A notable work attributed to René Thom is Thom conjecture[26].
  • A notable work attributed to René Thom is Thom space[27].

Body

Origins and Family

René Thom was born in Montbéliard[2]. He was born on September 2, 1923[3].

Education

Educated at École Normale Supérieure[18], a école normale supérieure[28], in France[29], founded in 1794[30], headquartered in Paris[31]; Lycée Saint-Louis[19], an educational facility[32], in France[33], founded in 1965[34]; and University of Paris[20], a former entity[35], in France[36], founded in 1150[37], headquartered in Paris[38]. René Thom's doctoral advisor was Henri Cartan[21]. Academic degrees include professor[39] and Doctor of Science[40]. He studied under Henri Cartan[41].

Career and Affiliations

Recorded occupations include mathematician[6] and university teacher[7]. René Thom's field of work was topology[12]. Employers include Institut des Hautes Études Scientifiques[14], a research institute[42], in France[43], founded in 1958[44], headquartered in Bures-sur-Yvette[45]; Grenoble Alpes University[15], a grand établissement[46], in France[47], founded in 2020[48], headquartered in Grenoble[49]; National Center for Scientific Research[16], a French public establishment of a scientific and technological character[50], in France[51], founded in 1939[52], headquartered in Paris[53]; and University of Strasbourg[17], a university[54], in France[55], founded in 1538[56]. He held the position of chairperson[13]. Doctoral students include Jean-Louis Chaboche[57], a researcher[58], of France[59], awarded the CNRS silver medal[60]; Marc Chaperon[61], a researcher[62]; Marcos Sebastiani[63]; David Trotman[64], a mathematician[65], 1951–2025[66], of France[67]; Bernard Morin[68]; and Joséphine Guidy Wandja[69].

Works and Contributions

Notable works include catastrophe theory[22], Dold–Thom theorem[23], Thom–Sebastiani Theorem[24], Thom isomorphism[25], Thom conjecture[26], and Thom space[27].

Recognition

Awards received include Fields medal[70], a mathematics award[71], founded in 1936[72]; Brouwer Medal[73], an award[74], in Netherlands[75], founded in 1970[76]; National Order of Scientific Merit[77], an order[78], in Brazil[79], founded in 2002[80]; and Prix de l'Etat[81], a science award[82], in France[83], founded in 1795[84].

Personal Life

A child of René Thom was Françoise Thom[10].

Death and Burial

René Thom died on October 25, 2002[5]. He died in Bures-sur-Yvette[4]. Burial took place at Q110338352[9].

Why It Matters

René Thom ranks in the top 0.72% of human entities by monthly Wikipedia readership (323 views/month, #7,222 of 1,000,298).[8] He has Wikipedia articles in 25 language editions, a strong signal of global cultural recognition.[85] He is known by 24 alternative names across languages and contexts.[86]

FAQs

Where was René Thom born?

Born in Montbéliard[2], René Thom…

Where did René Thom die?

René Thom died in Bures-sur-Yvette[4].

What did René Thom do for work?

René Thom worked as mathematician[6] and university teacher[7].

Where did René Thom go to school?

René Thom was educated at École Normale Supérieure[18], Lycée Saint-Louis[19], and University of Paris[20].

What awards did René Thom receive?

Honors received include Fields medal[70], Brouwer Medal[73], National Order of Scientific Merit[77], and Prix de l'Etat[81].

References

Programmatic citations — every numbered marker resolves to a verifiable graph row below.

Direct Wikidata claims

  1. [2] ↑ . wikidata.org.
  2. [4] ↑ . wikidata.org.
  3. [11] ↑ . wikidata.org.
  4. [13] ↑ . wikidata.org.
  5. [10] ↑ . wikidata.org.
  6. [18] ↑ . MacTutor History of Mathematics archive. wikidata.org.
  7. [19] ↑ . MacTutor History of Mathematics archive. wikidata.org.
  8. [20] ↑ . Mathematics Genealogy Project. wikidata.org.
  9. [12] ↑ . wikidata.org.
  10. [6] ↑ . wikidata.org.
  11. [7] ↑ . wikidata.org.
  12. [14] ↑ . documat.unirioja.es. documat.unirioja.es. Provenance: wikidata.org.
  13. [15] ↑ . MacTutor History of Mathematics archive. Retrieved . wikidata.org.
  14. [16] ↑ . MacTutor History of Mathematics archive. wikidata.org.
  15. [17] ↑ . MacTutor History of Mathematics archive. wikidata.org.
  16. [9] ↑ . Find a Grave. wikidata.org.
  17. [70] ↑ . mathunion.org. Retrieved . mathunion.org. Provenance: wikidata.org.
  18. [73] ↑ . wikidata.org.
  19. [77] ↑ . antigo.mctic.gov.br. Retrieved . antigo.mctic.gov.br. Provenance: wikidata.org.
  20. [81] ↑ . wikidata.org.
  21. [21] ↑ . wikidata.org.
  22. [57] ↑ . Mathematics Genealogy Project. wikidata.org.
  23. [61] ↑ . Mathematics Genealogy Project. wikidata.org.
  24. [63] ↑ . Mathematics Genealogy Project. wikidata.org.
  25. [64] ↑ . Mathematics Genealogy Project. wikidata.org.
  26. [68] ↑ . ams.org. ams.org. Provenance: wikidata.org.
  27. [69] ↑ . wikidata.org.
  28. [39] ↑ . wikidata.org.
  29. [40] ↑ . warwick.ac.uk. warwick.ac.uk. Provenance: wikidata.org.
  30. [3] ↑ . BnF authorities. Retrieved . wikidata.org.
  31. [5] ↑ . BnF authorities. Retrieved . wikidata.org.
  32. [22] ↑ . wikidata.org.
  33. [23] ↑ . wikidata.org.
  34. [24] ↑ . wikidata.org.
  35. [25] ↑ . wikidata.org.
  36. [26] ↑ . wikidata.org.
  37. [27] ↑ . wikidata.org.
  38. [41] ↑ . wikidata.org.

Inline context (facts about related entities)

  1. [28] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  2. [29] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  3. [30] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  4. [31] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  5. [32] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  6. [33] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  7. [34] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  8. [35] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  9. [36] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  10. [37] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  11. [38] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  12. [42] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  13. [43] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  14. [44] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  15. [45] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  16. [46] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  17. [47] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  18. [48] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  19. [49] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  20. [50] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  21. [51] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  22. [52] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  23. [53] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  24. [54] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  25. [55] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  26. [56] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  27. [71] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  28. [72] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  29. [74] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  30. [75] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  31. [76] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  32. [78] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  33. [79] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  34. [80] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  35. [82] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  36. [83] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  37. [84] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  38. [58] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  39. [59] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  40. [60] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  41. [62] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  42. [65] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  43. [66] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  44. [67] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site

Class ancestry

  1. [1] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org.

Aggregate / graph-position facts

  1. [8] ↑ . Wikimedia Foundation. dumps.wikimedia.org.
  2. [85] ↑ . Wikidata sitelinks. wikidata.org.
  3. [86] ↑ . Wikidata aliases. wikidata.org.

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APA 4ort.xyz Knowledge Graph. (2026). René Thom. Retrieved October 5, 2026, from https://4ort.xyz/entity/rene-thom
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BibTeX @misc{4ortxyz_rene-thom_2026, author = {{4ort.xyz Knowledge Graph}}, title = {{René Thom}}, year = {2026}, url = {https://4ort.xyz/entity/rene-thom}, note = {Accessed: 2026-10-05}}
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  1. 8d ago · Redpandacat · 2026-09-27 view diff on Wikidata ↗
    Image purged license → —
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    Wikipedia languages → ['ar', 'arz', 'azb', 'be', 'bn', 'br', 'ca', 'commons', 'cs', 'da', 'de', 'el',
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