Karl Bopp
Encyclopedia
Karl Bopp was a German
historian
of mathematics
.
Bopp studied at the University of Strasbourg
and the University of Heidelberg under Moritz Cantor
. In 1906 he habilitated
with a work about the Conic section
s of Gregorius a Sancto Vincenti, and in 1915 he became professor extraordinarius in Heidelberg. As successor of Moritz Cantor he taught History of mathematics
, political arithmetic, and Insurance
. In 1933 he became ill and died in 1935.
Bopp's special field of interest were researches about Johann Heinrich Lambert
. He edited Lambert's "Monatsbuch", his letter exchanges with Leonhard Euler
and Abraham Gotthelf Kästner
, and his philosophical
writings. Bopp wrote many historical papers, including two studies on the history of elliptic function
s, and the re-publication of a paper by Nicolas Fatio de Duillier
on the cause of gravitation
. Under his supervision many dissertations were written by his students.
Germans
The Germans are a Germanic ethnic group native to Central Europe. The English term Germans has referred to the German-speaking population of the Holy Roman Empire since the Late Middle Ages....
historian
Historian
A historian is a person who studies and writes about the past and is regarded as an authority on it. Historians are concerned with the continuous, methodical narrative and research of past events as relating to the human race; as well as the study of all history in time. If the individual is...
of mathematics
Mathematics
Mathematics is the study of quantity, space, structure, and change. Mathematicians seek out patterns and formulate new conjectures. Mathematicians resolve the truth or falsity of conjectures by mathematical proofs, which are arguments sufficient to convince other mathematicians of their validity...
.
Bopp studied at the University of Strasbourg
University of Strasbourg
The University of Strasbourg in Strasbourg, Alsace, France, is the largest university in France, with about 43,000 students and over 4,000 researchers....
and the University of Heidelberg under Moritz Cantor
Moritz Cantor
Moritz Benedikt Cantor was a German historian of mathematics.He was born at Mannheim, Germany. He came from a family that had emigrated to the Netherlands from Portugal, another branch of which had established itself in Russia, where Georg Cantor was born...
. In 1906 he habilitated
Habilitation
Habilitation is the highest academic qualification a scholar can achieve by his or her own pursuit in several European and Asian countries. Earned after obtaining a research doctorate, such as a PhD, habilitation requires the candidate to write a professorial thesis based on independent...
with a work about the Conic section
Conic section
In mathematics, a conic section is a curve obtained by intersecting a cone with a plane. In analytic geometry, a conic may be defined as a plane algebraic curve of degree 2...
s of Gregorius a Sancto Vincenti, and in 1915 he became professor extraordinarius in Heidelberg. As successor of Moritz Cantor he taught History of mathematics
History of mathematics
The area of study known as the history of mathematics is primarily an investigation into the origin of discoveries in mathematics and, to a lesser extent, an investigation into the mathematical methods and notation of the past....
, political arithmetic, and Insurance
Insurance
In law and economics, insurance is a form of risk management primarily used to hedge against the risk of a contingent, uncertain loss. Insurance is defined as the equitable transfer of the risk of a loss, from one entity to another, in exchange for payment. An insurer is a company selling the...
. In 1933 he became ill and died in 1935.
Bopp's special field of interest were researches about Johann Heinrich Lambert
Johann Heinrich Lambert
Johann Heinrich Lambert was a Swiss mathematician, physicist, philosopher and astronomer.Asteroid 187 Lamberta was named in his honour.-Biography:...
. He edited Lambert's "Monatsbuch", his letter exchanges with Leonhard Euler
Leonhard Euler
Leonhard Euler was a pioneering Swiss mathematician and physicist. He made important discoveries in fields as diverse as infinitesimal calculus and graph theory. He also introduced much of the modern mathematical terminology and notation, particularly for mathematical analysis, such as the notion...
and Abraham Gotthelf Kästner
Abraham Gotthelf Kästner
Abraham Gotthelf Kästner was a German mathematician and epigrammatist.He was known in his professional life for writing textbooks and compiling encyclopedias rather than for original research. Georg Christoph Lichtenberg was one of his doctoral students, and admired the man greatly. He became...
, and his philosophical
Philosophy
Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
writings. Bopp wrote many historical papers, including two studies on the history of elliptic function
Elliptic function
In complex analysis, an elliptic function is a function defined on the complex plane that is periodic in two directions and at the same time is meromorphic...
s, and the re-publication of a paper by Nicolas Fatio de Duillier
Nicolas Fatio de Duillier
Nicolas Fatio de Duillier was a Swiss mathematician known for his work on the zodiacal light problem, for his very close relationship with Isaac Newton, for his role in the Newton v. Leibniz calculus controversy, and for originating the "push" or "shadow" theory of gravitation...
on the cause of gravitation
Gravitation
Gravitation, or gravity, is a natural phenomenon by which physical bodies attract with a force proportional to their mass. Gravitation is most familiar as the agent that gives weight to objects with mass and causes them to fall to the ground when dropped...
. Under his supervision many dissertations were written by his students.