This was founded in 1794 by the National Convention as the École Centrale des Travaux Publiques (Central School of Public Works) and received its current name a year later. Originally under the leadership of Lazare Carnot and Gaspard Monge, the school was to provide education for engineers, but it soon came to be dominated by the military. In 1802, it absorbed the state artillery school, and two years later it was transferred from the control of the Ministry of the Interior to the army. The arms requiring more scientific knowledge had been neglected under the army of the ancien régime, and this specialist academy marked a change in the status of these arms. It also demonstrated the increasing importance of technology in warfare, as artillery in particular came to play a central role in Napoleon's wars.
After 1804 the École Polytechnique provided the French armed forces with scientifically educated officers. Entrance was by competitive examination, hence open to all regardless of social status. The students were normally between the ages of 16 and 20. For many years it was the main source of artillery and engineering officers for the army and gunnery officers and naval architects for the navy.
In 1976 it was relocated from Paris to Palaiseau. While in the past most graduates became officers in the armed forces, today most go on to careers in the civil service or business. The curriculum is still largely science-based; the school offers degrees in mathematics, mechanical engineering, physics, chemistry, economics, humanities, and social science.
— Robert Foley
