Mathematics exam day at the Sorbonne, mid-19th century

Starting in 1806, under Napoleon’s leadership, the entire French higher education system was reorganized. Five faculties were created in Paris, for science, literature, theology, law, and medicine. The Sorbonne then became the seat of the Paris Academy’s rectorate.
The 19th century was a turning point in the history of mathematics: in addition to the emergence of several important new theories, mathematics gained unprecedented importance, as if society as a whole had finally realized what a formidable tool it was. Mathematicians, whose numbers were growing steadily, became salaried professionals rather than educated and wealthy amateurs.