Nikolai Ivanovich Lobachevsky - an outstanding Russian mathematician, for four decades - rector of Kazan University, activist of public education, founder of non-Euclidean geometry.
This is a man who was several decades ahead of his time and remained misunderstood by his contemporaries.
Biography of Lobachevsky Nikolai Ivanovich
Nikolai was born on December 11, 1792 in a low-income family of a petty official Ivan Maksimovich and Praskovya Alexandrovna. The birthplace of the mathematician Nikolai Ivanovich Lobachevsky is Nizhny Novgorod. At the age of 9, after the death of his father, he was moved by his mother to Kazan and in 1802 was admitted to the local gymnasium. After graduating in 1807, Nikolai became a student at the newly founded Kazan Imperial University.
Under the tutelage of M. F. Bartels
Grigory Ivanovich Kartashevsky, a talented teacher who deeply knew and appreciated his work, managed to instill in the future genius a special love for the physical and mathematical sciences. Unfortunately, at the end of 1806, due to disagreements with the leadershipUniversity "for the manifestation of the spirit of rebelliousness and dissent" he was dismissed from the university service. Mikhail Fedorovich Bartels, a teacher and friend of the famous Carl Friedrich Gauss, began to teach mathematics courses. Arriving in Kazan in 1808, he took patronage over a capable but poor student.
The new teacher approved of the progress of Lobachevsky, who, under his supervision, studied such classic works as "The Theory of Numbers" by Carl Gauss and "Celestial Mechanics" by the French scientist Pierre-Simon Laplace. For disobedience, stubbornness and signs of godlessness in his senior year, the likelihood of expulsion hung over Nikolai. It was the patronage of Bartels that contributed to the removal of the danger hanging over the gifted student.
Kazan University in the life of Lobachevsky
In 1811, after graduating from the university, Nikolai Ivanovich Lobachevsky, whose brief biography is of sincere interest to the younger generation, was approved as a master in mathematics and physics and left at the educational institution. Two scientific studies - in algebra and mechanics, presented in 1814 (earlier than the deadline), led to his elevation to adjunct professors (docents). Further, Nikolai Ivanovich Lobachevsky, whose achievements would later be correctly assessed by descendants, began teaching himself, gradually increasing the range of courses he read (mathematics, astronomy, physics) and seriously thinking about the restructuring of mathematical principles.
Students loved and highly appreciated Lobachevsky's lectures, a year laterawarded the title of Extraordinary Professor.
Magnitsky's new orders
In order to suppress freethinking and revolutionary mood in society, the government of Alexander I began to rely on the ideology of religion with its mystical-Christian teachings. Universities were the first to undergo drastic checks. In March 1819, M. L. Magnitsky, a representative of the main board of schools, who cared exclusively about his own career, arrived at the higher educational institution of Kazan with an audit. According to the results of his check, the state of affairs at the university turned out to be extremely deplorable: the lack of scholarship of the pupils of this institution entailed harm to society. Therefore, the university needed to be destroyed (publicly destroyed) - for the purpose of an instructive example for the rest.
However, Alexander I decided to correct the situation with the hands of the same inspector, and Magnitsky began to “put things in order” within the walls of the institution with particular zeal: he removed 9 professors from work, introduced the strictest censorship of lectures and a harsh barracks regime.
Lobachevsky's extensive activities
The biography of Nikolai Ivanovich Lobachevsky describes the difficult period of the church-police system established at the university, which lasted for 7 years. The strength of the rebellious spirit and the absolute employment of the scientist, which did not leave a minute of free time, helped to withstand difficult tests.
Nikolai Ivanovich Lobachevsky replaced Bartels, who left the walls of the university, and taughtin all courses of mathematics, he also headed the physics room and read this subject, taught students astronomy and geodesy, while I. M. Simonov was on a trip around the world. Enormous work was invested by him in putting the library in order, and especially in filling its physical and mathematical part. Along the way, mathematician Nikolai Ivanovich Lobachevsky, being the chairman of the construction committee, supervised the construction of the main building of the university and for some time served as dean of the Faculty of Physics and Mathematics.
Non-Euclidean geometry of Lobachevsky
(not published at all). On the part of Magnitsky, strict supervision was established for Nikolai Ivanovich, due to his insolence and violation of established instructions. However, even under these conditions, acting humiliatingly on human dignity, Lobachevsky Nikolai Ivanovich worked hard on the strict construction of geometric foundations. The result of such painstaking work was the discovery by scientists of a new geometry, accomplished on the path of a radical revision of the concepts of the era of Euclid (3rd century BC).
In the winter of 1826, a Russian mathematician made a report on geometric principles, submitted for review to several eminent professors. However, the expected review (neither positive, nor even negative) is notreceived, but the manuscript of a valuable report has not reached our times. The scientist included this material in his first work "On the Principles of Geometry", published in 1829-1830. in the Kazan Bulletin. In addition to presenting important geometric discoveries, Nikolai Ivanovich Lobachevsky described a refined definition of a function (clearly distinguishing between its continuity and differentiability), undeservedly attributed to the German mathematician Dirichlet. Also, the scientists made thorough studies of trigonometric series, evaluated several decades later. The talented mathematician is the author of a method for the numerical solution of equations, which over time has been unfairly called the "Greffe method".
Lobachevsky Nikolai Ivanovich: interesting facts
Inspector Magnitsky, who for several years inspired fear with his actions, was expected by an unenviable fate: for many abuses revealed by a special audit commission, he was removed from his post and sent into exile. Mikhail Nikolaevich Musin-Pushkin was appointed the next trustee of the educational institution, who managed to appreciate the active work of Nikolai Lobachevsky and recommended him to the post of rector of Kazan University.
For 19 years, starting in 1827, Lobachevsky Nikolai Ivanovich (see photo of the monument in Kazan above) worked hard at this post, achieving the dawn of his beloved offspring. On account of Lobachevsky - a clear improvement in the level of scientific and educational activities in general, the construction of a huge number of office buildings(physics room, library, chemical laboratory, astronomical and magnetic observatory, anatomical theater, mechanical workshops). The rector is also the founder of the strict scientific journal "Scientific Notes of the Kazan University", which replaced the "Kazan Vestnik" and was first published in 1834. In parallel with the rector's office for 8 years, Nikolai Ivanovich ran the library, was engaged in teaching, wrote instructions to mathematics teachers.
It is impossible not to attribute Lobachevsky's merits to his sincere cordial concern for the university and its students. So, in 1830, he managed to isolate the educational territory and conduct a thorough disinfection in order to save the staff of the educational institution from the cholera epidemic. During a terrible fire in Kazan (1842), he managed to save almost all educational buildings, astronomical instruments and library material. Nikolai Ivanovich also opened free access to the university library and museums to the general public and organized popular science classes for the population.
Thanks to the incredible efforts of Lobachevsky, the authoritative, first-class, well-equipped Kazan University has become one of the best educational institutions in Russia.
Misunderstanding and rejection of the ideas of the Russian mathematician
All this time the mathematician did not stop in ongoing research aimed at developing new geometry. Unfortunately, his ideas are deep and fresh, so contrary to generally accepted axioms that contemporaries failed, and perhaps did not want to appreciate the worksLobachevsky. Misunderstanding and, one might say, bullying to some extent did not stop Nikolai Ivanovich: in 1835 he published "Imaginary Geometry", and a year later - "The Application of Imaginary Geometry to Some Integrals". Three years later, the world saw the most extensive work "New Beginnings of Geometry with a Complete Theory of Parallels", which contained a concise, extremely clear explanation of his key ideas.
A difficult period in the life of a mathematician
Unable to receive understanding in his native land, Lobachevsky decided to acquire like-minded people outside of it.
In 1840, Lobachevsky Nikolai Ivanovich (see photo in the review) published his work with clearly stated main ideas in German. One copy of this edition was given to Gauss, who himself was secretly engaged in non-Euclidean geometry, but did not dare to speak publicly with his thoughts. Having familiarized himself with the works of the Russian colleague, the German recommended that the Russian colleague be elected to the Gottingen Royal Society as a corresponding member. Gauss spoke laudatory about Lobachevsky only in his own diaries and among the most trusted people. The election of Lobachevsky nevertheless took place; this happened in 1842, but it did not improve the position of the Russian scientist in any way: he had to work at the university for another 4 years.
The government of Nicholas I did not want to evaluate the many years of work of Nikolai Ivanovich Lobachevsky and in 1846 suspended him from work at the university, officially naming the reason: a sharpdeterioration of he alth. Formally, the former rector was offered the position of assistant trustee, but without a salary. Shortly before his dismissal and deprivation of the professorial department, Lobachevsky Nikolai Ivanovich, whose brief biography is still being studied in educational institutions, recommended instead of himself the teacher of the Kazan gymnasium A. F. Popov, who had excellently defended his doctoral dissertation. Nikolai Ivanovich considered it necessary to give the right path in life to a young capable scientist and found it inappropriate to occupy the department under such circumstances. But, having lost everything at once and finding himself in a position that was completely unnecessary for himself, Lobachevsky lost the opportunity not only to lead the university, but also to somehow participate in the activities of the educational institution.
In family life, Lobachevsky Nikolai Ivanovich since 1832 was married to Varvara Alekseevna Moiseeva. In this marriage, 18 children were born, but only seven survived.
Last years of life
Forced removal from the business of his whole life, rejection of the new geometry, rude ingratitude of his contemporaries, a sharp deterioration in the financial situation (due to ruin, the wife's estate was sold for debts) and family grief (the loss of the eldest son in 1852) had a devastating effect on the physical and spiritual he alth of the Russian mathematician: he noticeably haggard and began to lose his sight. But even the blinded Nikolai Ivanovich Lobachevsky did not stop attending exams, came to solemn events, participated in scientific disputes andcontinued to work for the benefit of science. The main work of the Russian mathematician "Pangeometry" was written down by students under the dictation of the blind Lobachevsky a year before his death.
Lobachevsky Nikolai Ivanovich, whose discoveries in geometry were appreciated only decades later, was not the only researcher of a new field of mathematics. The Hungarian scientist Janos Bolyai, independently of his Russian colleague, submitted to his colleagues in 1832 his vision of non-Euclidean geometry. However, his works were not appreciated by his contemporaries.
The life of an outstanding scientist, wholly devoted to Russian science and Kazan University, ended on February 24, 1856. They buried Lobachevsky, who was never recognized during his lifetime, in Kazan, at the Arsky cemetery. Only after a few decades did the situation in the scientific world change dramatically. A huge role in the recognition and acceptance of the works of Nikolai Lobachevsky was played by the studies of Henri Poincare, Eugenio Beltrami, Felix Klein. The realization that Euclidean geometry had a full-fledged alternative had a significant impact on the scientific world and gave impetus to other bold ideas in the exact sciences.
The place and date of birth of Nikolai Ivanovich Lobachevsky are known to many contemporaries related to the exact sciences. In honor of Nikolai Ivanovich Lobachevsky, a crater on the Moon was named. The name of the great Russian scientist is the scientific library of the University in Kazan, to which he dedicated a huge part of his life. There are also Lobachevsky streets in many cities of Russia, includingin Moscow, Kazan, Lipetsk.
