February
February 1
What is the story behind the death of Rene Descartes? Rene Descartes, the eminent philosopher and the creator of analytic geometry, died at the age of 53. It was in 1649, while living in Holland, that Descartes received a pleading invitation from the nineteen-year-old Queen Christina to bring learning to her court and to teach her philosophy. Dazzled by the aura of royalty and the man-of-war specially sent to fetch him, but with qualms and hesitation, Descartes finally accepted the invitation and exchanged his peaceful existences in Holland for a hectic life in Stockholm. Queen Christina, who seems to have been much more of an athlete than a scholar, decided that five o'clock in the morning in a cold library, with the windows wide open, was the only time and place to study philosophy. Accordingly, poor Descartes, who had developed a life-long habit of lying in bed until noon, found himself roused from his warm bed and swept across a cold windy square to the chilly palace library to give the head-strong Queen her philosophy lesson. The cold unfriendly climate of Stockholm and the rupture of his deeply loved habit of lying abed until noon, proved too much for him. After a few months in Sweden the weary philosopher fell ill with a fever accompanied by an inflammation of the lungs, dragged himself to a sick bed and in 10 days was dead on February 1, 1650, a victim of the conceited vanity of a willful girl.
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February 2
What event caused Sir Christopher Wren to be more popularly known as a mathematician than an architect? Sir Christopher Wren was Savilian Professor of Astronomy at Oxford University from 1661 to 1673, and, for a time, president of the Royal Society. He wrote on the laws of collision of bodies, on subjects connected with optics, the resistance of fluids, and other topics in mathematical physics and celestial mechanics. He is credited with the discovery, in 1669, of two systems of rulings on the hyperboloid of one sheet. He was first (1658) to show that an arch of the cycloid is equal in length to eight times the radius of the generating circle. But, after the Great London Fire, Wren took such a prominent role in the rebuilding of St. Paul's Cathedral and some fifty or more other churches and public buildings that his fame as an architect overshadowed his reputation as a mathematician.
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February 3
How was Newton's manuscript on Optics destroyed on this date? A fire in Isaac Newton's study destroyed the manuscript in 1692. It is said that the event greatly upset the man.
Bio Resources Voltaire on Newton's Optics
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February 4
What does ENIAC stand for? The patent for the ENIAC (Electronic Numerical Integrator and Computer) was issued on February 4, 1964.
The Story of ENIAC I Photo A Science Odyssey
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February 5
What was Pierre Simon Laplace's famous statement about common sense? Pierre Simon Laplace presented his first probability memoir to the Academie des Sciences on February 5, 1772. He once commented: "In the final analysis, the theory of probability is only common sense expressed in numbers."
Laplace Bio I Laplace Bio II Laplace Transforms Table of Transforms
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February 6
Christopher Clavius probably did more than any other German scholar of his century to promote knowledge of what subject? Born in Bamberg, Germany, Christopher Clavius died on February 6, 1612 in Rome when he was 75. Though he added little of his own to mathematics, he probably did more than any other German scholar of the century to promote knowledge of the subject. He was a gifted teacher and wrote highly esteemed textbooks on arithmetic (1583) and algebra (1608). In 1574 he published an edition of Euclid's Elements that is valuable for its extensive scholia (study of classic antiquities) and earned him the title of "the Euclid of the 16th century." He also wrote on trigonometry and astronomy, and played the leading role in the Gregorian reform of the calendar.
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February 7
Who wrote The Development of Mathematics; Mathematics, the Queen and Servant of Science; and Men of Mathematics? Eric Temple Bell, in his day a well-known mathematician, was born on February 7, 1883. He is chiefly remembered for his excellent books: The Development of Mathematics; Mathematics, the Queen and Servant of Science; and the popular Men of Mathematics, which is a collection of mathematical biographies. Of the many quotations credited to Bell, we select, almost at random, the following: "Guided only by their feeling for symmetry, simplicity, and generality, and an indefinable sense of the fitness of things, creative mathematicians now, as in the past, are inspired by the art of mathematics rather than by any prospect of ultimate usefulness."
Bio Bibliography (.com site)
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February 8
What distinction did British number theorist, G. H. Hardy give to Thomas Bromwich? Thomas Bromwich, an applied mathematician at Cambridge University, was born on February 8, 1875. The eminent British number theorist, G. H. Hardy (1877--1947) described him as "the best pure mathematician among the applied mathematicians at Cambridge, and the best applied mathematician among the pure mathematicians."
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February 9
How were Farkas Bolyai and Gauss associated? Farkas Bolyai, father of Janos Bolyai, independent discoverer of non-Euclidean geometry, was born on February 9, 1775. Farkas Bolyai was a provincial mathematics teacher and long-time personal friend of Carl Friedrich Gauss. His son's discovery of non-Euclidean geometry first appeared in 1832, with due credit, as a 26-page appendix to the first volume of his own large two-volume semi-philosophical work on elementary mathematics.
Farkas Bolyai Janos Bolyai Gauss Hyperbolic Geometry I
Hyperbolic Geometry II Hyperbolic Geometry III
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February 10
What did Sonja Kovalevsky do to enable her study outside her native Russia and why did she do it? Barred, because of her sex, from pursuing advanced studies in a Russian University, Kovalevsky contracted a nominal marriage to be free of parental objection to studying abroad. The marriage took place in 1868, and in the following spring she and her husband went to Heidelberg where she attended lectures of Konigsberger, du Bois-Reymond, and Kirchoff. Konigsberger had earlier studied under Karl Weierstrass at the University of Berlin, and his enthusiastic reports of his mentor instilled in Kovalevsky a desire to study under the great teacher. She arrived in Berlin in 1870, but found the University adamant in its exclusion of female students. She accordingly approached Weierstrass directly, who, upon receiving a strong recommendation from Konigsberger, accepted her as a private student. She soon became Weierstrass. favorite pupil. In 1874 she was awarded, in absentia, the degree of Doctor of Philosophy by Gottingen University. She published a number of outstanding papers, and achieved her greatest success when the French Academy awarded her the prestigious Prix Bordin. From 1884 until her death (February 10, 1891), she served as a professor of higher mathematics at Stockholm University. Her motto was: .Say what you know, do what you must, come what may.. (See January 15.)
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February 11
Emil L. Post, a distinguished logician, was born in what country? Emil L. Post's (born February 11, 1897) family moved from Poland to the United States in 1904, where Emil went on to become a distinguished logician. Aristotle's law of the excluded middle asserts that a proposition p has only two possible truth values- - truth or falsity, and a logic in which this holds is called a two-valued logic. In a short two-page paper, Jan Lukasiewicz considered a three-valued logic in which a proposition p may have any one of three possible truth values. Very shortly after, and independently of Lukasiewicz.s work, Post considered an m-valued logic, in which a proposition p may possess any one of m possible truth values, where m is any integer greater than 1.
Emil Post Jan Lukasiewicz Some papers on multiple-valued logics
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February 12
Lobachevsky was first to publish in what area of mathematics? The Russian mathematician Nicolai Ivanovich Lobachevsky (1793-1856) delivered a paper on his "imaginary geometry," now called non-Euclidean geometry, before the mathematics and physics departments of Kasan University on February 12, 1826. Lobachevsky spent the greater part of his life at the University of Kasan, first as a student, later as a professor of mathematics, and finally as rector of the University. His earliest published work on the subject appeared in the 1829-1830 Kasan Bulletin, marking him as the first to publish in the subject. In Euclidean geometry, given a point P and a straight line m not through P, there exists in the plane of P and m one and only one line that does not intersect m (i.e., parallel to m). In Lobachevsky's non-Euclidean geometry, there exists more than one such line.
Biographical Sketch Hyperbolic Geometry Tom Lehrer's L.song
"L. alone has looked on Beauty bare ...." (parody of the famous Edna St. Vincent Millay poem)
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February 13
Why is Nicolo Fontana of Brescia, commonly referred to as Tartaglia? Nicolo Fontana of Brescia was commonly referred to as Tartaglia (the stammerer) because of a childhood injury that affected his speech. About 1515, Scipione del Ferro (1465-1526), of the University of Bologna, solved algebraically the cubic equation x3 + mx = n, probably basing his work on earlier Arabic sources. He did not publish his result, but revealed the secret to his pupil Antonio Fior. Tartaglia said he had discovered a method of solving cubic equations. Believing the claim was a bluff, Fior challenged Tartaglia to a public contest of solving cubic equations, whereupon the latter exerted himself and only a few days before the contest, held on February 13, 1535, found an algebraic solution for cubics lacking a quadratic term. Entering the contest equipped to solve two types of cubic equations, whereas Fior could solve but one type, Tartaglia triumphed completely.
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February 14
What is prosthaphaeresis? Johannes Werner, discoverer of prosthaphaeresis, was born on February 14, 1468. Werner used the four trigonometric identities
2 sin a cos b = sin(a - b) + sin(a + b) 2 cos a cos b = cos(a- b) + cos(a + b)
2 cos a sin b = sin(a + b) - sin(a - b) 2 sin a sin b = cos(a - b) - cos(a + b)
to simplify lengthy calculations arising in astronomy. Originally called Werner's formulas, they became widely used by mathematicians and astronomers in the late 16th century as a method of converting products into sums and differences. The formulas became known as prosthaphaeresis, from the Greek words meaning .addition and subtraction..
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February 15
What astronomer/physicist died the year Isaac Newton was born? The Italian astronomer and physicist Galileo was born on February 15, 1564. After a false start in medicine, Galileo switched to mathematics and science, where he demonstrated marked ability. Galileo established the modern spirit of science as a harmony between experiment and theory. Galileo was a busy fellow. He deduced the law of oscillation of a pendulum by studying a swinging lamp in the cathedral of Pisa. He concluded the laws of freely falling bodies by dropping of two different weights from the top of the leaning tower of Pisa. He laid the foundations of dynamics in general. Isaac Newton later built the science from Galileo's base. He made a telescope and with it discovered Jupiter, the rings of Saturn, the phases of Venus, mountains on the moon, and spots on the sun. He invented the first modern-type microscope. He developed the once very popular sector compass. Galileo once said, "{The universe} cannot be read until we have learnt the language and become familiar with the characters in which it is written. It is written in mathematical language." As a devout Catholic Galileo felt compelled to reason for himself the relation between science and scripture. His conclusion was that the Bible is not, and never was intended to be, a textbook on astronomy, or biology, or any other science. In short, Galileo maintained, it was not intended as a book to teach us scientific truths that we can discover for ourselves. Rather, it was intended as a book to reveal spiritual truths that we could not have found out for ourselves. Many of Galileo's findings contradicted Biblical explanations and it distressed him to find his views were condemned as contradicting the scriptures of the Church. Eventually he was summoned to appear before the Inquisition, and there, as an ill and old man, was forced under the threat of torture to recant his scientific findings. He became blind, dying a virtual prisoner in his own home, in 1642, which was the birth year of Isaac Newton.
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February 16
What mathematical astronomer spent 12 years with people hired to do the computations developing 15 place table of sines for every 10" of arc? Born on February 16, 1514, Georg Joachim Rhaeticus was the leading Teutonic mathematical astronomer of the 16th century and a disciple of Copernicus. It was because of importunities of Rhaeticus that Copernicus. great work was dramatically published just before the author died. Rhaeticus spent 12 years with people hired to do the computations for two remarkable and still useful trigonometric tables. One was a 10-place table of all six of the trigonometric functions for every 10. of arc. The other was a 15-place table of sines for every 10" of arc. Rhaeticus was the first to define the trigonometric functions as ratios of the sides of a right triangle.
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February 17
Who is considered the "father of statistics"? Ronald Aylmer Fisher, British mathematician and the father of statistics was born on February 17, 1890. Fisher was born in London, and from early life suffered from extreme myopia. Studying mathematics at Cambridge, he accordingly received much instruction without any visual aid, a circumstance that probably contributed to his strong geometrical sense and to his ability to solve mathematical problems entirely mentally. His statistical theories, which rendered scientific experimentation more precise, were first employed in biology and his statistical designs found application in agricultural and industrial experimentation. He also clarified the roles of mutation and natural selection play in genetics, particularly in humans.
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February 18
What is unusual about the poem Rosalind? British mathematician James Joseph Sylvester (1814 - 1897) read his mock-sentimental poem "Rosalind" (all 400 lines rhymed with Rosalind) at the Peabody Institute in Baltimore on February 18, 1879. He spent 1.5 hours explaining the footnotes before reading the actual poem. Much of the audience had left before he got to reading the poem.
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February 19
What mathematician's mother probably saved his life by licking his wounded head for days? Twelve-year-old Nicolo Tartaglia was seriously wounded when the French sacked Brescia (Italy) on February 19, 1512. The boy suffered several saber cuts that split his skull in 3 places and cleft his jaws and palate. He was left for dead, but his mother found him and managed to carry him off. Recalling that a dog, when wounded, licks the injured place, she licked the boy's head for days. He ultimately recovered but the injury to his palate left him with an impediment in his speech, and it was from this that he received his nickname of Tartaglia, the stammerer. The "g" in Tartaglia is silent, so his name also appears as Tartalea.
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February 20
What palindromic moment happened on February 20, 2002? Writing February 20, 2002 in European style (day, month, year) and using a 24-hour clock yields a rare result. Two minutes past the 20th hour on the 20th would be written 20:02 20/02 2002 or 200220022002. This palindrome is rare, but not unique. A similar situation happened in 1111 A. D. and will happen again in 2112 A.D. February 21, 1591.
palindromes (general) palindromes (middle school activities)
almost all palindromes are composite (article) palindromic number (MathWorld, w/refs)
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February 21
Why was Gerard Desargues almost overlooked in the history of mathematics? Gerard Desargues, who was born on February 21, 1591, was an engineer and architect. He published a remarkably original, but little heeded book in 1639. The work was so neglected that it was soon forgotten and all copies of it disappeared. Two centuries later Michael Chasles (1793 - 1880) wrote his still valuable history of geometry. Six years later Chasles happened upon a manuscript copy of Desargues work (made by Desargues' pupil Philippe de la Hire (1640-1718)). Since that time, the work has been regarded as one of the classics in the early development of synthetic projective geometry.
Desargues Chasles de la Hire projective geometry (Math Forum library)
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February 22
What was the position of Frank Plumpton Ramsey in the debate of whether mathematics is a branch of logic or logic is a branch of mathematics? Along with others, Frank Plumpton Ramsey (born February 22, 1903) supplied refinements to the position that maintains mathematics is a branch of logic. That is, rather than being just a tool of mathematics, logic becomes the progenitor of mathematics. Thus, the distinction between mathematics and logic becomes one of practical convenience since all mathematical concepts are to be developed as theorems of logic. The logistic school received its definitive expression in the monumental Principia Mathematica of Whitehead and Russell (1910 - 1913).
Ramsey Ramsey Theory Whitehead Russell Principia Mathematica
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February 23
What time did Gauss' pocket watch cease ticking? Gauss ceased breathing at 1:05 AM on February 23, 1855. The pocket watch he carried most of his life, ceased ticking at almost the same time.
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February 24
Why did Professor J. J. Sylvester resign from his position of Professor of Mathematics at the University of Virginia? J. J. Sylvester, born on February 24 1842, entered into his new duties as Professor of Mathematics at the University of Virginia with all the enthusiasm of his youthful twenty-seven years. He did not suspect that the whole venture would end in an unpleasant experience only three to four months later. It soon become apparent that there were students who resented the presence of a foreigner and a Jew on the faculty, and Professor Sylvester began to suffer annoyances in the classroom. Finally, after three months of growing harassment, Professor Sylvester reported a case of serious disrespect accorded him in the classroom by a student. The student was summoned to tell, in the absence of Professor Sylvester, his side of the altercation. His report was quite at variance with that of Professor Sylvester, and he had his view of the affair backed up by one of his cronies. Upon hearing of the introduction of a biased witness, Professor Sylvester protested, and wondered why a more neutral student witness had not been employed instead. In an attempt to carry out Professor Sylvester's wishes such witnesses were next called, but they tended to support their classmate. At this point, the faculty records become obscure, but it seems that finding himself in discord with both the students and his fellow faculty members, Professor Sylvester submitted his unconditional resignation. The resignation was accepted and Sylvester left Virginia. He went to New York City and tried unsuccessfully for about a year to find other gainful employment in America. Failing, he returned, penniless, to England.
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February 25
When was Sir Christopher Wren born? Sir Christopher Wren, who was born on February 25, 1723, was buried in St. Paul's cathedral, which he had redesigned and rebuilt after the Great London Fire of 1666. His tomb bears the fitting epitaph, Si monumentum requiris, circumspice (If you seek a monument, look about you).
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February 26
When was the first adding machine presented for sale to the public? The Burroughs Company brought out its first adding machine on February 26, 1885. It sold for $27.75 plus $1.39 shipping charges. The company was named after William Seward Burroughs of St. Louis.
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February 27
Who was Luitzen Egbertus Jan Brouwer? In about 1908, the Dutch mathematician Luitzen Egbertus Jan Brouwer, who was born on February 27, 1881,originated the intuitionist school (as a school) of the philosophy of mathematics. The intuitionist thesis is that mathematics is solely to be built by finite constructive methods from the intuitively given sequence of natural numbers. Brouwer, who died in 1966, spent the major part of his professional life at the University of Amsterdam.
L.E.J. Brouwer Intuitionism Constructive Analyis (Research Database) Constructive Mathematics
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February 28
Who was Florian Cajori? Florian Cajori was a noted American historian of mathematics who was born on February 28, 1859. Cajori taught at the University of Colorado and in addition to his A History of Mathematics, he wrote one of the earliest textbooks on the theory of equations via the Galois theory.
Cajori I Cajori II Theory of Equations Course Galois Theory
"After examining the writings of Archimedes one can well understand how, in ancient times, an 'Archimedean problem' came to mean a problem too deep for ordinary minds to solve, and how an 'Archimedean proof' came to be the synonym for unquestionable certainty." -- F. Cajori
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February 29
What is arithmetically special about leap years? In the Gregorian calendar every year that is divisible by four is a leap year. There is an exception, however. A multiple of four is a leap year unless it is divisible by 100, unless it is also divisible by 400. [E.g., 1800, 1900, 2100 are leap-less years, while 2000 has a leap day.]
History I History II Calendar Converter General History (of calendars)
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