Prague University Professor Wilhelm Matzka

Transcription

1 WDS'07 Proceedings of Contributed Papers, Part I, , ISBN MATFYZPRESS Prague University Professor Wilhelm Matzka M. Chocholová Charles University, Faculty of Mathematics and Physics, Prague, Czech Republic. Abstract. This article deals with the topic of my doctoral thesis called Life and Work of Wilhelm Matzka. The aim of this article is to state some fundamental data of W. Matzka s life, briefly outline mathematics at the time of his activity and familiarize with his expert focus. Wilhelm Matzka ( ) was a full professor of mathematics at the University of Prague. He was born in Lipertice in Moravia, studied at the secondary school in Chomutov and then at the University of Prague. Later he served many years in Austrian army. At the same time, he continued in his education at the University of Vienna. His pedagogical activities are adherent to Vienna ( , school for cannoneers), Tarnov ( , philosophical school) and Prague ( , Technical University; , University of Prague). For many years he funcioned at Königliche böhmische Gesellschaft der Wissenschaften [the Royal Bohemian Society of Sciences]. Expertly he was interested especially in algebra (algebraic equations, theory of determinants). He was engaged in analytic geometry, infinitesimal calculus (differential and integral calculus with geometrical applications), trigonometry and some parts of mathematical physics. In these areas he wrote textbooks, special articles and studies, historical, methodical and popular works. Life, Studies, Pedagogical Activity, and Other Activities of Wilhelm Matzka Wilhelm Matzka 1 was born on November 4, 1798 in Lipertice 2. He was raised in Malý Újezd near Teplice in Bohemia. He obtained first education at the primary school in Weisskirchlitz 3 near Teplice and in Šopka near Mělník. During the period , he studied at the grammar school in Osek and Chomutov, then, during the period at the Faculty of Arts in Prague. In 1819, he commenced military service with the 2nd artillery regiment in Vienna. In 1821, he was relocated as a bombardier to the bombardier company also in Vienna. Subsequently, he was promoted to a cannoneer, chief cannoneer, and then in 1831, to a lieutenant and at the same time he was appointed mathematics teacher in the bombardier company 4. At that time, W. Matzka visited mathematical and physical lectures at the University and Technical Faculty of Vienna and complemented and deepened his education. At the University of Vienna, he passed scientific and practical astronomy with Austrian mathematician and astronomer Prof. Josef Johann Littrow ( ), higher mathematics and physics with German mathematician and physicist Prof. Andreas von Ettingshausen ( ), mineralogy with Prof. Friedrich Mohs ( ), and then at the Vienna Polytechnics technology with Prof. Georg Altmütter ( ). W. Matzka improved in mathematics and other sciences and began to lecture as a professor of higher mathematics at the Mathematical and Artillery Staff School of the bombardier 1 Also written Vilém Matzka. 2 In German Leipertitz, today Litobratřice in Southern Moravia. 3 In Czech Novosedlice. 4 About bombardier staff and appropriate school see Gatti, F., Geschichte des k. k. Bombardier-Corps u. s. w. Wien, Information about Wilhelm Matzka is on page

2 staff 5. He lectured on algebra, analytic geometry, differential and integral calculus and higher mechanics. At this school he taught until In September that year, he was appointed full professor of elementary mathematics at the newly established philosophical school in Tarnov 6, where he acted until In 1843, he underwent rigorous tests at the University of Olomouc and obtained the doctorate in philosophy. In April 1849, he was appointed professor of mathematics and practical geometry at the Prague Polytechnics. He entered that position in May of the same year 7, but his activity at the Polytechnics was very short. Already after the end of the summer semester of 1850, he moved to the University of Prague as a full professor of mathematics. He taught there until the summer semester W. Matzka taught in German. It is said that during his activity at the University of Prague, the level of mathematics teaching raised. After 1848, the possibility of free lectures in mathematics was created at the university. In this way, topics completely new for university lectures appeared. Mainly thanks to W. Matzka, more attention was paid to geometry. After Wilhelm Matzka left, František Josef Studnička 9 ( ) took his place. F. J. Studnička already taught in Czech and after the colleges divided to Czech and German ones, he took the uneasy task of writing the first Czech college textbooks. 5 In short: bombardier school or school for cannoneers. 6 This school was probably higher secondary school which prepared students for study at the University of Krakov. 7 About Matzka s activity at the Prague Polytechnics see Jelínek, K., Das ständisch-polytechnische Institut zu Prag, Programm zur fünfzigjährigen Erinnerungs-Feier an die Eröffnung des Institutes am 10. November 1856, Prag, More about the education at the University of Prague see Ordnung der Vorlesungen an der k. k. Universität zu Prag 1849/ /71. 9 Professor at the Prague Polytechnics, Prague and Czech University. He lectured in Czech and contributed to the enlargement of czech university education and to production of mathematical literature in Czech by his substantial task. More about his life, work and pedagogical activities see Němcová, M., František Josef Studnička ( ), Edition Dějiny matematiky, Volume 10, Prometheus, Praha,

3 In years 1853, 1860 and 1861 W. Matzka was the dean of the Faculty of Arts, and in years 1852, 1854 and 1862, he was the vice dean 10. W. Matzka devoted special care to the instruction teachers of mathematics and physics at secondary schools. He noticeably influenced the level of mathematics educations in our countries. He was a member of the committee for secondary school teachers of mathematics in Czech countries from the beginning of the fifties of the 19th century. Scientific activity of Wilhelm Matzka founded acknowledgement also in educated spheres. In 1845, he was invited to Königliche böhmische Gesellschaft der Wissenschaften [the Royal Bohemian Society of Sciences] and at the beginning of 1850, he was elected its regular member. The Royal Bohemian Society of Sciences was the only scientific institution in our country at that time. To become its regular member meant an important position, proving the appreciation and acknowledgement of the scientific work of the person in question. He functioned also more than 30 years as a cashier of this society. Wilhelm Matzka died on June 9, 1891 in Prague. Mathematics at Matzka s Time At the time, when W. Matzka acted at the Technical Faculty and University in Prague, the level of science in our countries increased permanently. This was connected with the development of industry and the strengthening of Czech national movement. Science in Czech countries began to be able to follow the world development and in some cases, which applies rather to individuals, also contributed to its development by some works. In the engineering industry, communication building, architecture etc., displaying methods were practically applied. Thus, in mathematics and its teaching, approximately in the half of the 19th century, large space was given to geometry, especially to descriptive geometry. At that time, both in the world and in our countries, algebra began to be more and more popular, especially the theory of determinants. Our production in this period only commenced, there were only a few original Czech works. Many authors only reinvented already known results. In our countries, important mathematical personalities of that time were Bernard Bolzano See archival materials of Charles University, Personalstand der k. k. Universität zu Prag. 11 Philosopher, mathematician, priest and professor at the University of Prague. He was engaged especially in clarifying of fundamental mathematical notions, mathematical analysis, set theory and mathematical logic. There was nobody during the 19th century, who could link to his scientific work, because Bernard Bolzano outran all his contemporaries in his ideas. More see Hykšová, M., Karel Rychlík ( ), Edition Dějiny matematiky, Volume 22, Prometheus, Praha, 2003, chapter Karel Rychlík a Bernard Bolzano, page

4 ( ), Jakub Filip Kulik 12 ( ) and Wilhelm Matzka ( ). Thus, B. Bolzano and J. F. Kulik were W. Matzka s contemporaries. W. Matzka s mathematical work was, as far as originality is concerned, certainly at a lower level. On the other hand, he affected the development of mathematics as well. As a teacher at the university and as a member of the committee for secondary school teachers of mathematics, he co-decided about the level of education of secondary school teachers and thus also their students. W. Matzka s and J. F. Kulik s students were also founders of Spolek pro volné přednášky z matematiky a fyziky [Association for Free Lectures on Mathematics and Physics] (1862), from which Jednota českých matematiků a fyziků 13 [the Union of Czech Mathematicians and Physicists] later arose (1869). It is necessary to mention here that in these activities students were supported more by J. F. Kulik, W. Matzka oriented himself rather on Königliche böhmische Gesellschaft der Wissenschaften [the Royal Bohemian Society of Sciences]. Works of Wilhelm Matzka W. Matzka expertly dealt especially with algebra, mainly with solving of algebraic equations and theory of determinants. Furthermore, he also dealt with issues of analytic geometry, infinitesimal calculus, trigonometry and some parts of mathematical physics. In these areas, he wrote textbooks, expert articles, studies, historical, methodical and popular works. He published his works in: Abhandlungen der königlichen böhmischen Gesellschaft der Wissenschaften 14 [Discourses of the Royal Bohemian Society of Sciences], Sitzungsberichte der königlichen böhmischen Gesellschaft der Wissenschaften [Protocols of Assemblies of the Royal Bohemian Society of Sciences], Archiv für Mathematik und Physik 15 [Archive for Mathematics and Physics], Journal für die reine und angewandte Mathematik 16 [Journal of Pure and Applied Mathematics], Astronomische Nachrichten 17 [Astronomic News], Annalen der Wiener Sternwarte [Annals of Vienna Observatory], Annalen der Physik und Chemie 18 [Annals of Physics and Chemistry]. Some works are issued separately too. There is not a complete list of his publications. I know about nearly 50 works so far whose 12 Professor of mathematics at the University of Prague. He was interested in theory of numbers, especially in compiling of tables of prime numbers. He compiled tables of divisors and tables of prime numbers up to the number To write this work took several years. These works obtained world s public acceptance. Although these tables and computational works were very extensive, he did not reach the major theoretical results. More see Nový, L., kol., Dějiny exaktních věd v českých zemích, Academia, Praha, 1961; Nový, L., On Kulik s tables of divisors, in Acta historiae rerum naturalium necnon technicarum, Special Issue 16, Prague, 1981, page More about the Union of Czech Mathematicians and Physicists see Pátý, L., Jubilejní almanach Jednoty čs. matematiků a fyziků, Jednota čs. matematiků a fyziků, Praha, 1987; Posejpal, V., Dějepis Jednoty českých mathematiků, JČM, Praha, 1912; Veselý, F., 100 let Jednoty československých matematiků a fyziků, SPN, Praha, German magazine issued by Königliche böhmische Gesellschaft der Wissenschaften [the Royal Bohemian Society of Sciences]. Extensive lectures on mathematics were published there. 15 Also called Grunert s Archiv [Grunert s Archive], according to its founder, who was German mathematician Johann August Grunert ( ). This magazine founded in 1841 dealt with mathematics, physics and astronomy. It belonged to excellent magazines and is still being issued. 16 Also called Crelle s Journal, according to the founder, who was German mathematician August Leopold Crelle ( ). This magazine, founded in 1826, is one of the oldest mathematical magazines and is still being published. 17 Also called Schumacher s Astronomische Nachrichten [Schumacher s Astronomic News], founded in 1821 and called according to its founder, who was astronomer Heinrich Christian Schumacher ( ). This is the oldest astronomical magazine in the world and is still being published. 18 Also called Poggendorff s Annalen, according to its founder, who was German physicist Johann Christian Poggendorf ( ). This magazin, founded in 1824, is still being issued under the title Annalen der Physik [Annals of Physics]. 244

5 author is W. Matzka. I would divide them into three basic groups: mathematical, physical and astronomical works 19. Further plans W. Matzka s complete biography does not exist and there is even not a list of his publications. I have only partial information available from the aforementioned biographical dictionaries 20 and negligible mentions in some books 21. My nearest aim is to compile a list of W. Matzka s pedagogical activity and a list of his publications, to compile the first version of his life and classify his works into specific groups. For this, it will be necessary to find materials in archives 22, furthermore in German magazines and monographs, contact foreign libraries, archives and other institutions. The doctoral thesis will describe personal and professional life of Wilhelm Matzka, his scientific and pedagogical contribution to the development of mathematics in Czech countries in the 19th century. The main and original benefit of the work will be evaluation of W. Matzka s mathematical works. The work will be concluded by an extensive set of factual appendices (the list of publications, reviews and assessments, the list of filed doctoral theses, the list of preserved correspondence, the summary of archival documents, portraits, etc.). The doctoral thesis could be published as a book after defending, as another contribution into Edice Dějiny matematiky [the History of Mathematics Edition]. Acknowledgments. The author thanks doc. RNDr. Martina Bečvářová, Ph.D., for her help and leadership of this dissertation. References Janko, J., Štrbáňová, S., Věda Purkyňovy doby, Academia, Praha, Jílek, J., Lomič, V., Horská, P., Dějiny Českého vysokého učení technického v Praze, Praha, Nový, L., kol., Dějiny exaktních věd v českých zemích, Academia, Praha, Pátý, L., Jubilejní almanach Jednoty čs. matematiků a fyziků, Jednota čs. matematiků a fyziků, Praha, Posejpal, V., Dějepis Jednoty českých mathematiků, JČM, Praha, Velflík, A., V., Dějiny technického učení v Praze, Unie, Praha, 1906 and Veselý, F., 100 let Jednoty československých matematiků a fyziků, SPN, Praha, Poggendorff, J., C., Biographisch-Literarisches Handwörterbuch, Johann Ambrosius Barth, Leipzig, Würzbach, C., Biographisches Lexikon, Druck und Verlag der k. k. Hof- und Staatedruckerrei, Wien, W. Matzka was probably affected to a great extent by studies in Vienna with astronomer J. J. Littrow and physicist A. von Ettingshausen. 20 Poggendorff, J., C., Biographisch-Literarisches Handwörterbuch, Johann Ambrosius Barth, Leipzig, 1904; Würzbach, C., Biographisches Lexikon, Druck und Verlag der k. k. Hof- und Staatedruckerrei, Wien, E.g. Velflík, A., V., Dějiny technického učení v Praze, Unie, Praha, 1906 and Archive of the Charles University, Archive of the Technical University, Archive of the Academy of Sciences of Czech Republic and some local archives. 245