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OnNovember18,1812,thexhaustedremnantoftheFrench army.wasoverwhelmedatKrasnoi.Amongthoseleftfordead onthefrozenbatlefieldwasyoungPoncelet..Asearching party,discoveringthathestilbreathed,tokhimbeforethe Rusianstafforquestioning.Asaprisonerofwar.atSaratof ontheVolga.,herememberedthathehadreceivedagod mathematicaleducation,andtosoftentherigoursofhisexilehe resolvedtoreproduceasmuchashecouldofwhathehadlearned. Itwasthusthathecreatedprojectivegeometry.