Two factoids of interest:
1. André was the older brother of philosopher Simone Weil.
2. "Weil" is a jumbled version of "Levi" adopted by some so as to be less conspicuously Jewish, and thus be less likely to be persecuted or discriminated against.
1. André was the older brother of philosopher Simone Weil.
2. "Weil" is a jumbled version of "Levi" adopted by some so as to be less conspicuously Jewish, and thus be less likely to be persecuted or discriminated against.
But no relation with Simone Veil (both Veil and Weil are pronounced exactly the same way in French).
4. Some of his best work was done/completed while he was in military prison (ignoring his draft orders to report to World War II duty). IIRC later when he mentioned this to some official, they offered to give him the opportunity again.
(André Weil spent some time in India, previously having apparently taught himself Sanskrit at age 14 and the Bhagavad Gita being described as his constant companion. His autobiography The Apprenticeship of a Mathematician is very interesting.)