There he was greatly influenced by Lagrange who was one of his teachers and, of course, also someone of Italian birth. Fourier, like Lagrange, was greatly impressed by Plana's abilities and he tried to arrange for him to be appointed to the chair of mathematics at the school of artillery at Grenoble.
Doon siya ay naiimpluwensyahan ng malaki Lagrange na noon ay isa sa kanyang mga guro at, of course, rin ang isang tao ng mga Italyano ng kapanganakan.