GHEORGHE TITEICA (1873 - 1939)

His name entered for good the cultural and scientific patrimony of our country, becoming well-known all over the world and it conjures up the image of our greatest geometrician, the creator of Romanian School of differential geometry, excellent teacher and creator.

He was born in 1874, October 4, in Drobeta-Turnu Severin. There was, in Drobeta-Turnu Severin a German community that had a kindergarten. Gh. Titeica entered this kindergarten when he was 6 years old, in the autumn 1879.

He was a very good pupil getting only good marks during the primary school. The first 4 years showed Titeica's parents the way the child would go. So, in autumn 1885, Gh. Titeica entered the impressive (today's Nicolae Balcescu College) secondary school in the first form.

From the very beginning, Gh. Titeica proved a uncurbed knowledge. As pupil, he studied the violin in a methodical and perseverant manner. Craiova at that time was characterized by a rich and varied artistic activity, the music being his pleasant refuge after the hours of scientific research and study.

In November 1891, there was set up in Craiova, within the secondary school, under the guidance of I.G.T. Buzoianu, the young and enthusiastic teacher, the Review of the school. Gh. Titeica carried on a permanent, laborious activity during all those years.

His name - the leader of the mathematics column and author of many interesting studies of literary critique was one of the most important of that review. He passed the scholar ship exam at the Preparatory School of Bucharest, he also entered the Faculty of Sciences, the mathematics section where he attended the courses of the great teachers as: David Emmanuel, Spiru Haret, O. Gogu, Dimitrie Petrescu and the general Iacob Lahogary.

In June 1895, he obtained the diploma of bachelor of mathematics. In the autumn of 1895, he became substitute teacher at the theological seminary in Bucharest. After the summer holiday (1896), the year when he passed the capacity exam for the secondary teaching - he became teacher at the Vasile Alecsandri secondary school in Galati. Praised for his profound preparedness and his qualities as researcher, he was advised by teachers and friends, to go for Paris to finish his studies.

He arrived the Rue d'Ulm 43, at Preparatory School, as internal stipend student, in 1897. From among his mates we recall: Henry Lebesque and Paul Montel. For the master's degree he chose the subject about the framework of the oblique curvature. He presented his work on June the 30, 1899, before a board of examiners leaded by the well-known mathematician Gaston Darbouse.

Member-correspondent from May 1909, Gh. Titeica was elected on May the 15, 1913, when he was 40 years old, permanent member of the Romanian Academy, after Spiru Haret's death. He discharged many important duties within the highest scientific forum of the country: he was the vice-president of the scientific section, in 1928 he was the vice-president and in XXXXXXX 1928, the general secretary of the Academy.

Man of science, well-known all over the world, Gh. Titeica was, many times, the president of the "Mathematical Association of Romania", of the "Romanian Association of Science", of the "Association of the development and the spreading of the sciences"; he discharged the duty of a vice-president of the "Polytechnics Association of Romania" and member of the high council of public instruction.

Praised by the scientific forums from abroad, Gh. Titeica was elected correspondent of the Association of Sciences from Liege (Belgium), "honoris causa" doctor of the University of Varshawa. Well-known in the mathematical world, the Romanian Scientist was invited to participate to many scientific reunions organized in many countries. He was the president of the Congress of Mathematics from Toronto (1924), Zurich (1932) and Oslo (1936), geometry section. In 1926, 1930 and 1937 he gave a series of lectures as aggregat at the Faculty of Sciences in Sorbona. He gave many lectures at the University of Brussels (1926) and Rome (1927).

He died in perfect power of creation on February the 5, 1938.

The scientific work of Gh. Titeica counts about 400 works, from among which 96 are scientific memories, most of them dealing with problems of differential geometry. Carrying the researches of the American geometrician of Polish origin Wilczunski, Titeica discovered the new category of surfaces and a new category of curves that are called Titeica. He also studied the R networks from the n-dimensional space, defined by Laplace equations.

From the work: "Years of Light" - "Nicolae Balcescu" Highschool History author Nicolae Andrei "Scrisul Romanesc" Publishing House