Exhibition opened to celebrate 200th anniversary of non-Euclidean geometry
An exhibition commemorating the 200th anniversary of the discovery of non-Euclidean geometry by Nikolai Lobachevsky has opened in the side hallway of the Kazan University History Museum.
The biographical section of the exhibition is based on original archival documents and their copies.
A special place is given to materials related to the scientist’s work as rector and librarian. The library was Lobachevsky’s primary project. He cared for it, striving to develop and enrich its collection in every way. Also on display are original student rosters from 1845-1846. These historical documents can be considered analogous to modern transcripts of exams and session attendance.
The starting point is a copy of Lobachevsky’s letter to the council of the Faculty of Physics and Mathematics. It is from this document that historians date the beginning of a new period in geometry. It was sent on February 7 (Julian calendar).
Next to the first printed edition are works from the 1830s devoted to “imaginary geometry,” as the author himself called it. This cycle concludes with Pangeometry, a final, comprehensive work in which the already ailing scholar presented the main ideas and achievements of his life.
One of the most valuable exhibits was an original letter of gratitude to Kazan University from the world-renowned mathematician Eugenio Beltrami (1835-1900), the creator of three-dimensional models of geometry, in particular the pseudosphere. He was subsequently awarded an honorary doctorate by Kazan University for the development and popularization of non-Euclidean geometry.
Another section is dedicated to the celebration of anniversaries of non-Euclidean geometry: the 100th anniversary in 1926, and then the 125th and 150th anniversaries.
The final biographical section tells of those who preserved and expanded the scientist’s legacy. The works of Professor Alexander Vasilyev (1853-1929), one of the main promoters of Lobachevsky’s legacy, are on display here. It was thanks to his efforts that the centenary of his birth was celebrated and an international prize was established in his name. Works by mathematician Veniamin Kagan (1869-1953) and Professor Boris Laptev (1905-1989) are displayed nearby.
In addition to the physical exhibits, a unique video footage discovered on the Net Film portal is shown on the screen. It is from archival footage related to the celebration of the 150th anniversary of non-Euclidean geometry in 1976. The footage captures a major conference at the university, as well as an interview with Laptev. Footage from a session of the Kazan University Geometric Seminar is also shown. It features renowned representatives of the Kazan geometric school – Alexander Norden (1904-1993), Alexander Shirokov (1926-1998), Vladimir Vishnevsky (1929-2007), and many other outstanding mathematicians.