to DMG-Lib main page
Home  · Site map  · Contact  ·

Advanced Search   Mechanism Search

Lalescu, Traian (1882 - 1929)

Click to enlargeClick to enlarge
 
Romanian professor

Like any other science, mathematics is continually evolving, but knows certain periods in which this development is stormy. Such a period was the late nineteenth century, when new subjects arise, such as the theory of integral equations. And the world's first monograph dedicated to this field was due to Romanian mathematician Traian Lalescu.
He came from a family, originating in Banat, region that the great mathematician remained in permanent contact, during his lifetime.
Traian Lalescu was born in Bucharest, but studied high school in different cities: Craiova, Roman, Iasi, being winner of I prize in all classes. Child, he was attracted to mathematics, collaborating on "Mathematical Gazette". He passed first, with the highest grade possible the entrance exam in the National School of Bridges and Highways in Bucharest, he studied there three years.
But was irresistibly attracted to mathematics, he retired from engineering courses and entered the Department of Mathematics, Faculty of Science, University of Bucharest, licensed in only two years (1903-1905).
For a while, he worked as a teacher in secondary education, he went for specialization in Paris, with a scholarship. Here he passes the exams for license, and in 1908, became Doctor of the Sorbonne. His PhD thesis addressed the problem, so current at the time, the new integral equations. In 1911 he published the first monographs in the world dedicated to integral equations; in this monographs he sets also his personal results. This work, first appeared in Bucharest, is translated into French the following year, appearing in Paris, with a preface written by the great mathematician E. Picard.
Traian Lalescu had an intense social and political activity. In the years 1918-1919 he acted in Paris for the union of all Romanians. But his work is primarily devoted to mathematics, to higher education. After a period in which he worked in medium education in Giurgiu and Bucharest (1906-1912), he entered as an assistant at the National School of Bridges and Highways, operating simultaneously also at the Faculty of Sciences in Bucharest, where he taught the first lectures on integral equations of Romanian academic education.
His sparkling intelligence was always looking for new ideas in science and linking mathematics with multiple aspects of practice. Therefore, in 1915, after hearing a course of electricity and electronics in the National School of Bridges and Highways, he followed also the courses in Higher School of Electricity in Paris (1918-1919), obtaining the title of engineer.
Back at home, he took an active part in the reorganization of higher education after the First World War, introducing new courses. So, he taught courses of higher algebra, rational mechanics, analytical geometry, tensor calculus, number theory. At his insistence, it has been established Polytechnic School of Timisoara (1920), he was the first rector of this prestigious institution of higher education. Also in Timisoara he founded a mathematical journal.
Besides the mentioned mathematical contributions, Traian Lalescu is the author of an interesting monographs entitled "Triangle geometry." All of him is due some original studies on the so-called spline functions (polynomial type) studied extensively in the decade 1970, as also research on mathematical physics. Lalescu left behind many works on history of mathematics in Romania. If death would not be caught him in full creative power, to less than five decades of life, his work would have been, of course, richer. Dynamic, highly original in his scientific thinking, a teacher who knew how to win students to his courses, the great mathematician-engineer has made, as noted mathematician Miron Nicolescu, sustained ambition to contribute to a "mathematical intense movements our country ".
   
variant spelling:
Lalescu, Traian
   
Curriculum vitae  
* 1882 Bucuresti born
1905 Bucuresti Degree in mathematics
1912 Paris Ph.D.
1919 Paris Engineer
1920 Timisoara First Rector
† 1929 Bucuresti died
Collections
Industrialisation, ca. 1850-1920
Rationalisation, ca. 1920-1950
Images
 
Lalescu Traian
Click to enlarge
Permanent links
DMG-Lib FaviconDMG-Lib https://www.dmg-lib.org/dmglib/handler?biogr=17277004
Europeana FaviconEuropeana  http://www.europeana.eu/portal/record/2020801/dmglib_handler_biogr_17277004.html
nach oben up
×