Démographie de l’Académie des sciences (Institut de France) de 1666 à 2017, et perspectives

Abstract

The Demography of the Académie des sciences (Institut de France), 1666-2017, with Projections During the three centuries and half of her existence, the Académie des sciences of the Institut de France has counted more than three thousand members, but less than one third were “full members”. Creating a large variety of statuses has probably been a specificity of this academy, to increase the global efficacy of the institution without increasing too much the number of the full Members. In this paper we list these various statuses and analyze the individual courses they allowed. A specific focus is put on the Corresponding members who had always been more numerous than the full Members until the end of their recruitment in year 2000. As all institutions of this type, where members are admitted by election and remain until their death, the Academy endures a process of ageing as an effect of the increasing duration of life in the general population. Since the 1960s various changes in the rules have been projected or implemented, until the major reform of 2002 that we describe in more details here. The objectives are reported as well as the consequences over the 15 years already known, and with projections until 2035.