he studied at the collège stanislas in paris before joining the école polytechnique in 1829, where he was a classmate of groundbreaking mathematician évariste galois, whom bravais actually beat in a scholastic mathematics competition. towards the end of his studies he became a naval officer, and sailed on the "finistere" in 1832 as well as the "loiret" afterwards. he took part in hydrographic work along the algerian coast. he participated in the "recherche" expedition and helped the "lilloise" in spitzbergen and lapland.