Olivier studied in the Licée Imperial of Lyon where he obtained in 1811 a degree in mathematics with high honours.

[3] Returning to France, Oliver criticized the pedagogical system in the École Polytechnique and in 1829, jointly with Alphonse Lavallée, Jean-Baptiste Dumas and Jean Claude Eugène Péclet, founded the École Centrale des Arts et Manufactures, where he was professor of geometry and mechanics for the rest of his life.

[5] Olivier is mainly known for the construction of three-dimensional models of geometry for pedagogical purposes.

[4] Most of them were sold to North American institutions such as Union College, the University of Columbia and West Point, where they are preserved.

[6] Olivier also studied the theory of gears, writing an extensive treatise on the subject, and constructing models, preserved in the Musée des Art et Offices in Paris.