Editing Augustin-Jean Fresnel (section)

=== Rêveries ===
[[File:Léonor Mérimée.jpg|thumb|[[Bas-relief]] of Fresnel's uncle Léonor Mérimée (1757–1836), on the same wall as the Fresnel monument in Broglie{{r|martan-2014}}]]

Fresnel's letters from later in 1814 reveal his interest in the wave theory, including his awareness that it explained the constancy of the speed of light and was at least compatible with stellar aberration. Eventually he compiled what he called his ''rêveries'' (musings) into an essay and submitted it via Léonor Mérimée to [[André-Marie Ampère]], who did not respond directly. But on 19 December, Mérimée dined with Ampère and Arago, with whom he was acquainted through the École Polytechnique; and Arago promised to look at Fresnel's essay.<ref>Buchwald, 1989, pp.&nbsp;116–117; Silliman, 1967, pp.&nbsp;40–45; Fresnel, 1866–70, vol.&nbsp;2, p.&nbsp;831; Levitt, 2009, p.&nbsp;49.</ref><ref group=Note>The story that Ampère lost the essay (propagated from Boutry, 1948, p.&nbsp;593?) is implicitly contradicted by Darrigol (2012, p.&nbsp;198), Buchwald (1989, p.&nbsp;117), Mérimée's letter to Fresnel dated 20 December 1814 (in Fresnel, 1866–70, vol.&nbsp;2, pp.&nbsp;830–831), and two footnotes in Fresnel's collected works (Fresnel, 1866–70, vol.&nbsp;1, pp.&nbsp;xxix–xxx, note&nbsp;4, and p.&nbsp;6n).</ref>

In mid 1815, on his way home to Mathieu to serve his suspension, Fresnel met Arago in [[Paris]] and spoke of the wave theory and stellar aberration. He was informed that he was trying to break down open doors ("''il enfonçait des portes ouvertes''"), and directed to classical works on optics.<ref>Boutry, 1948, pp.&nbsp;594–595.</ref>