Bečvářová, Ch. Binder (eds.):

Mathematics in the Austrian-Hungarian Empire.

 Proceedings of a Symposium held in Budapest on August 1, 2009 during the XXIII ICHST,

2010, 176 pages,

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Preface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3

Programme of the Symposium . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Contents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Proceedings

M. Bečvřov� Czech Mathematicians and Their Role in the Development

of National Mathematics in the Balkans . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

B. Beham: “The crisis of intuition”– Austrian-Hungarian Conbributions

in the Quest of Defining the Mathematical Term “Dimension”

from the 1850’s to the 1920’s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .33

Ch. Binder: The Appointment Policy in the Austrian-Hungarian Empire . . . . . . . . 43

S. Domoradzki: Mathematics in Lw Before the Lw Mathematical School . . . 55

H. Gropp: Mathematics in Bosnia – Herzegovina . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .75

M. Chocholov� Wilhelm Matzka and His Position in the Austro-Hungarian

Mathematics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .81

M. T. Morovics: The Mathematics and Its Professors at the Mining and Forestry

and Forestry Academy in Schemnitz (Bansk�Štiavnica) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93

K. Munkacsy: The Reception of Bolyai’s Geometry in the Austro-Hungarian

Empire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103

A. M. Nikoliｴc: Mathematical Education in the Province of Vojvodina

within the Habsburg Monarchy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109

M. P駑ov� Z. Sklen疵ikov� Karel Pelz an Outstanding Geometer

of the 19th Century . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .125

Ch. Phili: Greek Mathematical Publications in Vienna

in the 18th–19th Centuries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .137

M. Razpet: Franc Hočevar and His Scientific Work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149

N. Razpet: Franc Hočevar – Textbook Author . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161

ABSTRACT

XXIIIth International Congress of History of Science and Technology took

place in Budapest from July 28 till August 2, 2009. More than 1300 special-

ists from all over the world (60 different countries) attended the congress and

presented their research results, studies, investigations and contributions. Nine

plenary lectures, 52 sections, 79 symposiums, many poster sessions and various

social events were held.

One of the symposiums was devoted to the history of mathematics in the

Austrian-Hungarian monarchy during its final period and it was organized

under the name Mathematics in the Austrian-Hungarian Empire by Christa

Binder (University of Technology in Vienna) and Martina Bečvřov�(Czech

University of Technology in Prague).

There were discussed the situation from the second half of the 19th century

until the First World War. Before 1848, the level of mathematics was very low

in the Austrian monarchy. It needed some time, much effort and a clever policy

to raise it to the high level that it has reached in the first years of the 20th

century. The improved training of teachers and the curricula in schools formed

the basis for a better education.

There were talks by specialists from various European countries on biogra-

phies, on organizational issues, including the foundation of new institutions,

such as universities, colleges of technology, as well as academies of science

which also played an important role in the development of mathematics. Some

typical career of mathematicians, the path leading from small universities at

the border of the empire to the main universities in Prague and Vienna was de-

scribed. Further topics were the interaction between the different nations, the

special situations in Austria, Hungary, the Czech countries, Poland, Slovakia,

Slovenia, Vojvodina, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and in other parts of the Empire

and Europe, the problem of the different languages and national revivals, the

level of mathematical education and knowledge as well as the industrial, poli-

tical and cultural conditions. And, of course, some specialists tried to analyse

the development of mathematical fields, such as the growing importance of

geometry and descriptive geometry, the rise of analysis, and the evolution of

modern algebra and logic.

In order to document the proceedings of the symposium this book containing

extended versions of the contributions presented in Budapest was prepared.

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