Salih Zeki introduces Lobachevsky’s geometry: Two conferences in 1915

Year 2005, Volume: 7 Issue: 1, 67 - 78, 01.12.2005

İnanç Demirtaş

Abstract

Salih Zeki (1864-1921) a Turkish mathematician known for his extensive
teaching of mathematics and the numerous textbooks he published in
mathematical sciences for secondary and higher education. While he was acting
as the director of the Istanbul Darülfünun (University), he delivered a series of
conferences in the years 1914-1916 aiming to introduce non-Euclidian
geometry. 

The present paper aims to introduce two of his conferences titled
“Lobaçevski Hendesesinin Tefsiri” (An interpretation of Lobachevsky’s
geometry) delivered on March 20th and 26th, 1915. Salih Zeki, became
acquainted with non-Euclidian geometry thanks to another Turkish
mathematician Vidinli Tevfik Pasha (1832-1901) who provided him with the
material (books and articles) related to the subject. 

In the first three conferences Salih Zeki exposed the theoretical grounds
of Lobacevsky’s geometry. In the following two conferences that are studied in
the present paper, Salih Zeki showed the concordance of Beltrami’s
pseudospherical geometry with the plane geometry of Lobatchewsky, and that
all results obtained by Lobachevky and Bolyai are also true for Beltrami’s
geometry. 

Copies of Salih Zeki’s conferences on non-Euclidian geometry during the
academic year 1914-15 are kept in the Istanbul University Library. Although the
Minister of Education approved Salih Zeki’s plans to publish his conferences in
the state printing agency, these were only partly published, and are conserved
largely as manuscripts in the Istanbul University collection.

Keywords

Salih Zeki, Darülfünun, non-Euclidian geometry, Lobatchewky, Vidinli Tevfik Paşa

Salih Zeki’nin Lobaçevski Geometrisini Tanıtan İki Konferansı

Abstract

Salih Zeki (1864-1921) a Turkish mathematician known for his extensive teaching of mathematics and the numerous textbooks he published in mathematical sciences for secondary and higher education. While he was acting as the director of the Istanbul Darülfünun (University), he delivered a series of conferences in the years 1914-1916 aiming to introduce non-Euclidian geometry. 

The present paper aims to introduce two of his conferences titled “Lobaçevski Hendesesinin Tefsiri” (An interpretation of Lobachevsky’s geometry) delivered on March 20th and 26th, 1915. Salih Zeki, became acquainted with non-Euclidian geometry thanks to another Turkish mathematician Vidinli Tevfik Pasha (1832-1901) who provided him with the material (books and articles) related to the subject. 

In the first three conferences Salih Zeki exposed the theoretical grounds of Lobacevsky’s geometry. In the following two conferences that are studied in the present paper, Salih Zeki showed the concordance of Beltrami’s pseudospherical geometry with the plane geometry of Lobatchewsky, and that all results obtained by Lobachevky and Bolyai are also true for Beltrami’s geometry. 

Copies of Salih Zeki’s conferences on non-Euclidian geometry during the academic year 1914-15 are kept in the Istanbul University Library. Although the Minister of Education approved Salih Zeki’s plans to publish his conferences in the state printing agency, these were only partly published, and are conserved largely as manuscripts in the Istanbul University collection.

Keywords

Salih Zeki, Darülfünun, Öklid dışı geometri, Lobaçevski, Vidinli Tevfik Paşa

References

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