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Mathematics in Bucharest throughout the years

In 1864, when the University of Bucharest was founded, one of the three faculties was The Faculty of naturals, mathematical and physical sciences (which becamed The Faculty of Sciences),which in 1866 was split up into a department of physical-mathematical sciences and another one of physical-natural sciences. The mathematical subjects which were found in the faculties syllabus: Introduction to calculus, superior Algebra and Differential and Integral Calculus, Elementary and rational mechanics, Descriptive geometry, Analitical geometry, Theoretical geodesy and Astronomy, Linear Drawing and topography. One of the first professors of the faculty, Alexandru Orascu, was equaly dealing with mathematics and arhitecture.

A turning point in the faculty evolution is marked by the coming, as professors, of our first doctors in mathematics from Paris, in this order: Spiru Haret, David Emmanuel, Constantin Gogu and Nicolae Coculescu. Excepting David Emmanuel, whose thesis delt with the abelian integrals of the third species, all the other three dealt with celestial mechanics problems.

Spiru Haret teached for more than 30 years Rational Mechanics at the University of Bucharest. Beside this, he he brought up the romanian school and university at the highest prestige. Through the functions he had, especially through the reform in 1898, he stimulated the romanian educational system; is considered the best Minister of Education in the modern Romania history.

David Emmanuel becomes in 1882 professor of superior algebra and functions theory, remaining in this field for several decades. All the later top mathematicians (like Titeica, Lalescu, Stoilow etc.) considered themselves his students. We cand also observe that in 1888 David Emmanuel kept a course of groups theory and another one of Galois theory. If we add and his treatise of function theory, in 2 volumes, published in 1924-1927, we realize the modern and rigurous spirit, which he introduced in the superior mathematical studies.

The next stage of the mathematics evolution in Bucharest is the one of the great creators, which not only had brilliant thesis for the doctors degree in Paris, but they created afterwards a great scientific work. We have in mind the geometer Gheorghe Titeica and the analysts Dimitrie Pompeiu and Traian Lalescu, prominent figures of our faculty in the first four decades of the XX century. The Titeica curves, surfaces and networks are mentioned in many treatises of differential geometriy, Pompeiu functions had important consequences in functions theory, real analysis, topology and differential equations, while Lalescu is the author of the first monograph of the integral equations theory. Pompeiu succeeded Haret at the chair of mechanics, but he also teached functions theory succeeding David Emmanuel.

Victor Valcovici, the creator of the romanian hydrodynamics and aerodynamics, with a doctors degree thesis at Gottingen, succeeded , in 1930 , Pompeiu, as mechanics professor till 1962.