Mathematician Chebyshev is a famous Russian scientist and mechanic. Now he is considered one of the main founders of the so-called St. Petersburg school of mathematics. In the middle of the XIX century he became an academician of the St. Petersburg Academy of Sciences, and then another 24 academies around the world. He was called the greatest mathematician of the 19th century along with Lobachevsky. Chebyshev managed to obtain fundamental results in theories of numbers and probability, and also to construct the theory of orthogonal polynomials. He founded the mathematical theory of the synthesis of mechanisms, developed important concepts of practical mechanisms.
Biography of a scientist
Mathematician Chebyshev was born in 1821. Paphnutius was born in the small village of Okatovo, which is located in the Borovsky district of the Kaluga province. His father was a wealthy and well-known landowner in the area. He came from a noble family of Chebyshevs, participated in the Patriotic War of 1812, triumphantly took Paris in 1814.
Interestingly, there is no exact information about the date of birth of the mathematician Chebyshev. It is believed that he was born on May 4. This information corresponds to the records preserved in the metric book of the Church of the Transfiguration of the Lord, located in the village of Spas-Prognanie.
His relatives brought up the upbringing and primary education of the boy. Mother taught literacy and writing, cousin - the French language and the basics of mathematics, it was she who laid the interest in this science in the child.
In general, Paphnutius was a very versatile child. In addition to everything, he was fond of music, loved to understand the nature of mechanical toys, and over time he began to make them on his own. This interest in all kinds of mechanisms remained with him in his mature years.
Moving to Moscow
In 1832, the family of the future mathematician Chebyshev moved from the province to Moscow. One of the main reasons is to give a full education to children. The hero of our article is seriously interested in mathematics and physics, and is engaged in the work of the famous teacher Platon Pogorelsky. At that time he was considered one of the best teachers in all of Moscow.
In parallel, Pafnuti is studying Latin with Alexei Tarasenkov, who at that time was a student at a medical institute, and in the future became the head physician of the Sheremetev Hospital. By the way, it was precisely for him that the sister of Pafnutia Elizaveta Chebysheva married.
In 1837, Chebyshev entered the Physics and Mathematics Department of Moscow University. Interestingly, at that time this department was based on the Faculty of Philosophy. A great influence on the formation of the circle of his scientific interests is provided by Nikolai Brashman. This is his direct teacher, professor of mechanics and applied mathematics. In particular, it is thanks to him that the scientist gets acquainted with the works of a popular French engineer named Jean-Victor Poncelet.
First successes
In 1840, the first successes in the scientific world came to Chebyshev, so far at the student level. The mathematician receives a silver medal for his work in finding the roots in an equation of degree n. Moreover, he writes the scientific work in 1838, based on an algorithm developed by Newton.
After that, all professors and teachers began to pay close attention to the young scientist, who showed serious hopes.
Lack of money
In 1841, Chebyshev became a graduate of the Imperial Moscow University. By that time, the situation of his parents was deteriorating significantly. Due to famine and crop failure that hit many provinces a year earlier, the Chebyshevs are suffering great losses. The family is deprived of the opportunity to financially support a son who is getting higher education.
Chebyshev lives in extremely cramped conditions, but this does not stop him, he continues to persistently continue to engage in science and research, this becomes his real passion.
By 1846, he was completing a master's thesis and successfully defending it. The work is devoted to a deep analysis of probability theory.
Work at St. Petersburg University
In 1847, the hero of our article gets a place at St. Petersburg University. In high school, he becomes an associate professor. Due to this, he manages to improve his financial situation.
To obtain the right to give lectures at the university, he needed to defend another scientific work. His dissertation this time was about integration using logarithms. After that, he was admitted to teaching. He lectured on the theory of elliptic functions, geometry, number theory, higher algebra, and practical mechanics. Often explained to students of St. Petersburg University the basics of probability theory. He removed vague formulations from it, leaving only irrefutable facts, turning it into a real rigorous mathematical discipline.
Doctoral dissertation
Chebyshev defended his doctoral dissertation in 1849. Her theme is the theory of comparisons. After that, he becomes a professor, holding this position until 1882.
Collaborating with St. Petersburg University, Chebyshev closely agrees with Professor of Applied Mathematics Joseph Somov, who was also a student of Brashman, and on this basis they found much in common with each other. Over time, their relationship grew into a strong friendship.
It is worth noting that the scientist’s personal life did not work out in any way, throughout his life he remained lonely, which also contributed to his rapprochement with the large, noisy and hospitable Somov family.
Foreign experience
In 1852, Chebyshev went on a scientific trip to Europe. He visits France, Great Britain, Belgium. He gets acquainted in practice with the peculiarities of the engineering industry, as well as with museum collections of mechanisms and machines that interest him almost the most.
Chebyshev visits factories, meets with the largest foreign mechanics and mathematicians. Having returned with accumulated experience, he continues to teach at St. Petersburg University and begins to work at the Alexander Lyceum.
In 1853, academicians Struve, Bunyakovsky, Fuss and Jacobi represent the hero of our article to the post of associate of the St. Petersburg Academy of Sciences, which becomes a recognition of his merits. They especially note the importance of his work in the field of practical mechanics. Chebyshev’s candidacy is supported, he receives the coveted position. In 1858, he became an honorary member of Moscow University.
University Charter
It is interesting that, in addition to purely scientific work, Chebyshev took an active part in the development of important public documents. In 1863, the so-called Chebyshev Commission participated in the development of the University Charter, which was eventually signed by Emperor Alexander II.
On the basis of this charter, almost complete autonomy was presented to the university as a corporation of professors. The charter lasted until the era of counter-reforms that began under Alexander III, while historians and researchers regarded it as one of the most successful and liberal university regulations not only in the 19th, but also at the beginning of the 20th century.
In 1894, Pafnutiy Chebyshev died at his desk while working, he was 73 years old. He was buried in the village of Spas-Prognanie, which is now located in the Kaluga region.
Educational work
Chebyshev paid increased attention to pedagogical activity. In particular, he was a member of the committee of public education, which worked under the ministry. He constantly wrote reviews of textbooks, compiled programs and instructions for secondary and elementary schools.
In the second half of the XIX century there was an urgent need to educate technical personnel. This was caused by the industrial boom that began in the country, the active development of mechanical engineering. All this poses certain tasks for higher education, which must be urgently addressed. An increase in the number of mechanical engineers begins to be trained by qualified teachers.
At Kiev University, Professor Rachmaninoff proposes to train these engineers at the physics and mathematics departments of universities across the country. Chebushev opposes such a proposal. He considers it more appropriate to focus the training of these specialists in higher technical educational institutions. But universities should be given for the training of specialists who will be engaged in fundamental scientific research.
As a result, it is precisely along this path that the domestic higher school goes — a large number of technical universities of various profiles are being created.
Scientist textbooks
Concrete scientific results are also of great importance for Chebyshev; he advocates the development of a mathematical school. Everyone notes him as a first-class lecturer, as well as a wonderful scientific adviser who has a rare ability to select and pose new problems for young and novice researchers, the solution of which will lead to useful discoveries.
As a result, Chebyshev creates a large number of educational and didactic materials. As a member of the capital's mathematical society, he begins to publish the country's first specialized journal, entitled "Mathematical Collection".
Interestingly, in our time, many of his works in mathematics are applied. P.L. Chebyshev remains an authoritative figure for many modern mathematicians.
Specialized Olympiad
For students today, the Chebyshev Mathematics Olympiad is of great importance. She now bears the name of this famous scientist. The Chebyshev Mathematics Olympiad in 2018 brings together thousands of participants throughout Russia.
This year it is being held as part of the Kolmogorov Readings. That is when assignments for participants become available. Separately held for the 5th grade Chebyshev Mathematics Olympiad. Already at this age, a peculiar type of thinking begins to form in schoolchildren, they solve the most intricate tasks with interest. Therefore, already in the 5th grade, practically everyone who is considering connecting their lives with the exact sciences knows the mathematician Chebyshev.
The development of children does not end there. Passes in the 6th grade Olympiad in mathematics Chebyshev. Every year, assignments are prepared for students up to grade 7. Many teachers and schoolchildren themselves note that at the Chebyshev Olympiad, math assignments are distinguished by the fact that to solve them, as a rule, you need to use a non-standard approach.
This year was no exception. In 2018, the Chebyshev Mathematics Olympiad was held in February. Its results are already publicly available. For many students, the Chebyshev Mathematics Olympiad becomes a real ticket to life.
Having vividly manifested themselves in these sections of knowledge, students for the long future become infected with a sincere love for mathematics, research, and the desire to solve mechanical problems has not disappeared since then. Of the many who participated in such an olympiad in childhood, experienced mathematicians will grow in the future, who will go to higher educational institutions of a technical nature and become scientists themselves or competent specialists.