What is "cartan"

Cartan may refer to:

• Élie Cartan (1869–1951), French mathematician who worked with Lie groups
• Henri Cartan (1904-2008), French mathematician who worked in algebraic topology, son of the above
• Cartan (crater), a lunar crater
• Badea Cârțan (1849-1911), Austro-Hungarian Romanian activist

Cartan is a small lunar crater near the eastern edge of the Moon. It lies just to the west of the larger Apollonius. The rim is circular with a tiny crater along the eastern side. The interior floor is about half the diameter of the crater. A smaller crater attached to the southern rim is also attached to the north rim of Apollonius H, forming a short crater chain.

Cartan was designated Apollonius D before being named by the IAU, honoring the French mathematician Élie Cartan.