Bernt Michael Holmboe
Encyclopedia
Bernt Michael Holmboe was a Norwegian
mathematician
. He was home-tutored from an early age, and was not enrolled in school until 1810. Following a short period at the Royal Frederick University
, which included a stint as assistant to Christopher Hansteen
, Holmboe was hired as a mathematics teacher at the Christiania Cathedral School
in 1818, where he met the future renowned mathematician Niels Henrik Abel
. Holmboe's lasting impact on mathematics
worldwide has been said to be his tutoring of Abel, both in school and privately. The two became friends and remained so until Abel's early death. Holmboe moved to the Royal Frederick University in 1826, where he worked until his own death in 1850.
Holmboe's significant impact on mathematics in the fledgling Norway was his textbook in two volumes for secondary schools. It was widely used, but faced competition from Christopher Hansteen's alternative offering, sparking what may have been Norway's first debate about school textbooks.
Jens Holmboe (1746–1823) and his wife Cathrine Holst (1763–1823). He grew up in Eidsberg
with his nine siblings, and was the elder brother of noted philologist Christopher Andreas Holmboe
. Holmboe was homeschooled from an early age, but was sent to the Christiania Cathedral School in 1810 to complete his secondary education. There he undertook extracurricular studies in mathematics
. He enrolled as a student at the Royal Frederick University
in 1814, a turbulent year
in Norwegian history. Norway had been a province of Denmark
since 1397, but had come under Swedish
control in the January 1814 Treaty of Kiel
. Following Norway's declaration of independence in the Constitution of 17 May, Sweden responded by waging a military campaign against Norway
during the summer of 1814. Holmboe was a spokesperson for the student group opposed to the presence of Swedish troops in the country. Any outspokenness from the student community was highly visible at the time, as the university had only seventeen students as of 1813, its year of establishment.
As well as his private studies, Holmboe attended lectures given by Søren Rasmusen. In 1815 he was appointed to the position of scientific assistant under Christopher Hansteen
, a lecturer at the university, and delivered some lectures himself. In early 1818, Holmboe became a mathematics teacher at the Christiania Cathedral School, a position that had become vacant in 1817. The school principal, Jacob Rosted
, had invited Holmboe's brother, Christopher Andreas, who had also studied mathematics, to take up the position, but he had decided instead to concentrate on philology; Christopher went on to research the Sanskrit language among others. In his teaching, Holmboe drew inspiration from Joseph-Louis Lagrange.
, then a pupil there. Holmboe quickly discovered Abel's talent, and proclaimed him as a "splendid genius" in his report card
.Quote: In English: "A splendid mathematical genius." (remark written by Holmboe) The school's primary focus was on classical education
and Latin
, and so Holmboe tutored Abel privately. His personal support for Abel has been called "[Holmboe's] most important contribution to mathematics".Quote: In English: "... the way Holmboe supported and helped Abel should be considered his most important contribution to mathematics." (statement of the article writer)
Holmboe and Abel became close friends. Two of Holmboe's younger brothers studied with Abel, and the three were also on friendly terms. Abel was invited to the Holmboe family residence in Eidsberg on several occasions, including to celebrate Christmas.
Abel died from tuberculosis
in 1829, at the age of twenty-six. Ten years after Abel's death Holmboe edited and published his complete works in two volumes—Oeuvres complètes de N.H. Abel ('Complete Works of N.H. Abel'). He was the first to do so.
, it enticed readers to envisage a figure instead of putting it to paper. The books became widely used, and were reprinted in four and five volumes respectively.
In 1826, Holmboe was appointed a lecturer at the Royal Frederick University. Some claimed that he owed his appointment to Abel's absence, as the latter was travelling around in Europe at that time. Holmboe also taught mathematics at a military college, from 1826 until his death, and was promoted to professor at the Royal Frederick University in 1834. His later publications include Stereometrie (Stereometry) (1833), Plan- og sfærisk Trigonometrie (Plan and Spherical Trigonometry) (1834), and Lærebog i den høiere Mathematik (Textbook of Advanced Mathematics) (1849). Holmboe was an influence on other mathematicians as well as Abel, including Ole Jacob Broch
(born 1818).
At the university, Holmboe again met Christopher Hansteen, who had become a professor there in 1816. In 1835, Hansteen published his own mathematics textbook for secondary schools. A reaction to Holmboe's books and method of teaching, it was more practically oriented. Holmboe wrote a review of the book for the newspaper Morgenbladet
, in which he advised schools not to use it. A public debate followed, with contributions from other mathematicians. It has been claimed that this was the first debate on the subject of school textbooks in Norway. Hansteen's textbook was not reprinted.
Holmboe also became involved in the field of insurance
. From 1832 to 1848 he was a member of Tilsynskomiteen for private forsørgelses- og understøttelsesselskaper, the country's first public committee for the supervision of insurance companies. On the other side of the table, from 1847 Holmboe was a member of the board of directors
of the insurance company Gjensidige
, founded by his former student Ole Jacob Broch.
50,000, is taken from the Abel Found, which also cover the Abel Prize
. The prize is administered by the board of the Norwegian Mathematical Society
. The current board chairman is Tom Lindstrøm, professor at the University of Oslo.
A street at Majorstuen
in Oslo, Holmboes gate, has been named after Bernt Michael Holmboe. Before 1879 it was named Hansteens gate, after Christopher Hansteen.
, died in 1839 after five years of marriage. They had three daughters, two of whom (Fredrikke and Nikoline, Jr.) reached adulthood, and one stillborn son. He married his second wife, Ingeborg Thorp in 1842. She was born in 1812 in Voss
. This marriage produced two sons, Christopher and Jens, and two daughters, Cathrine and Olava. Only Jens and Cathrine reached adulthood.
Bernt Michael Holmboe died in 1850, and his second wife outlived him by thirty-three years.
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
mathematician
Mathematician
A mathematician is a person whose primary area of study is the field of mathematics. Mathematicians are concerned with quantity, structure, space, and change....
. He was home-tutored from an early age, and was not enrolled in school until 1810. Following a short period at the Royal Frederick University
University of Oslo
The University of Oslo , formerly The Royal Frederick University , is the oldest and largest university in Norway, situated in the Norwegian capital of Oslo. The university was founded in 1811 and was modelled after the recently established University of Berlin...
, which included a stint as assistant to Christopher Hansteen
Christopher Hansteen
Christopher Hansteen was a Norwegian geophysicist, astronomer and physicist, best known for his mapping of Earth's magnetic field.-Early life and career:...
, Holmboe was hired as a mathematics teacher at the Christiania Cathedral School
Oslo katedralskole
Schola Osloensis, known in Norwegian as Oslo katedralskole and more commonly as "Katta" is an upper secondary school located in Oslo, Norway. The school offers the college preparatory studiespesialisering of the Norwegian school system...
in 1818, where he met the future renowned mathematician Niels Henrik Abel
Niels Henrik Abel
Niels Henrik Abel was a Norwegian mathematician who proved the impossibility of solving the quintic equation in radicals.-Early life:...
. Holmboe's lasting impact on 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...
worldwide has been said to be his tutoring of Abel, both in school and privately. The two became friends and remained so until Abel's early death. Holmboe moved to the Royal Frederick University in 1826, where he worked until his own death in 1850.
Holmboe's significant impact on mathematics in the fledgling Norway was his textbook in two volumes for secondary schools. It was widely used, but faced competition from Christopher Hansteen's alternative offering, sparking what may have been Norway's first debate about school textbooks.
Early life and career
Bernt Michael Holmboe was born in Vang in 1795, the son of vicarVicar
In the broadest sense, a vicar is a representative, deputy or substitute; anyone acting "in the person of" or agent for a superior . In this sense, the title is comparable to lieutenant...
Jens Holmboe (1746–1823) and his wife Cathrine Holst (1763–1823). He grew up in Eidsberg
Eidsberg
Eidsberg is a municipality in Østfold county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Mysen. Neighboring municipalities are Rakkestad, Askim, Skiptvet, Trøgstad, and Marker in Østfold, and Aurskog-Høland in Akershus....
with his nine siblings, and was the elder brother of noted philologist Christopher Andreas Holmboe
Christopher Andreas Holmboe
Christopher Andreas Holmboe was a Norwegian philologist.He was born in Vang as the brother of mathematician Bernt Michael Holmboe. He graduated as cand.theol. in 1818, and was professor in oriental languages at the University of Oslo from 1825 to 1876. He was also a notable numismatist.-References:...
. Holmboe was homeschooled from an early age, but was sent to the Christiania Cathedral School in 1810 to complete his secondary education. There he undertook extracurricular studies in 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...
. He enrolled as a student at the Royal Frederick University
University of Oslo
The University of Oslo , formerly The Royal Frederick University , is the oldest and largest university in Norway, situated in the Norwegian capital of Oslo. The university was founded in 1811 and was modelled after the recently established University of Berlin...
in 1814, a turbulent year
Norway in 1814
1814 was a pivotal year in the history of Norway. It started with Norway in a union with the Kingdom of Denmark subject to a naval blockade being ceded to the king of Sweden. In May a constitutional convention declared Norway an independent kingdom. By the end of the year the Norwegian parliament...
in Norwegian history. Norway had been a province of Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
since 1397, but had come under Swedish
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
control in the January 1814 Treaty of Kiel
Treaty of Kiel
The Treaty of Kiel or Peace of Kiel was concluded between the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and the Kingdom of Sweden on one side and the Kingdoms of Denmark and Norway on the other side on 14 January 1814 in Kiel...
. Following Norway's declaration of independence in the Constitution of 17 May, Sweden responded by waging a military campaign against Norway
Swedish campaign against Norway (1814)
The Swedish-Norwegian War, also known as the Campaign against Norway, was fought between Sweden and Norway in the summer of 1814. The war resulted in Norway entering into union with Sweden, but with its own constitution and parliament.-Background:...
during the summer of 1814. Holmboe was a spokesperson for the student group opposed to the presence of Swedish troops in the country. Any outspokenness from the student community was highly visible at the time, as the university had only seventeen students as of 1813, its year of establishment.
As well as his private studies, Holmboe attended lectures given by Søren Rasmusen. In 1815 he was appointed to the position of scientific assistant under Christopher Hansteen
Christopher Hansteen
Christopher Hansteen was a Norwegian geophysicist, astronomer and physicist, best known for his mapping of Earth's magnetic field.-Early life and career:...
, a lecturer at the university, and delivered some lectures himself. In early 1818, Holmboe became a mathematics teacher at the Christiania Cathedral School, a position that had become vacant in 1817. The school principal, Jacob Rosted
Jacob Rosted
Jacob Rosted was a Norwegian educator, editor and librarian, born in Høland.He served as rector at the Christiania Cathedral School from 1803 to 1832. He edited the magazines Topographisk Journal for Kongeriget Norge and Hermoder...
, had invited Holmboe's brother, Christopher Andreas, who had also studied mathematics, to take up the position, but he had decided instead to concentrate on philology; Christopher went on to research the Sanskrit language among others. In his teaching, Holmboe drew inspiration from Joseph-Louis Lagrange.
Niels Henrik Abel
At the Christiania Cathedral School, Holmboe met Niels Henrik AbelNiels Henrik Abel
Niels Henrik Abel was a Norwegian mathematician who proved the impossibility of solving the quintic equation in radicals.-Early life:...
, then a pupil there. Holmboe quickly discovered Abel's talent, and proclaimed him as a "splendid genius" in his report card
Report card
A report card communicates a student's performance. In most places, the report card is issued by the school to the student or the student's parents twice or four times yearly. A typical report card uses a grading scale to determine the quality of a student's school work...
.Quote: In English: "A splendid mathematical genius." (remark written by Holmboe) The school's primary focus was on classical education
Classics
Classics is the branch of the Humanities comprising the languages, literature, philosophy, history, art, archaeology and other culture of the ancient Mediterranean world ; especially Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome during Classical Antiquity Classics (sometimes encompassing Classical Studies or...
and Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
, and so Holmboe tutored Abel privately. His personal support for Abel has been called "[Holmboe's] most important contribution to mathematics".Quote: In English: "... the way Holmboe supported and helped Abel should be considered his most important contribution to mathematics." (statement of the article writer)
Holmboe and Abel became close friends. Two of Holmboe's younger brothers studied with Abel, and the three were also on friendly terms. Abel was invited to the Holmboe family residence in Eidsberg on several occasions, including to celebrate Christmas.
Abel died from tuberculosis
Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis, MTB, or TB is a common, and in many cases lethal, infectious disease caused by various strains of mycobacteria, usually Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Tuberculosis usually attacks the lungs but can also affect other parts of the body...
in 1829, at the age of twenty-six. Ten years after Abel's death Holmboe edited and published his complete works in two volumes—Oeuvres complètes de N.H. Abel ('Complete Works of N.H. Abel'). He was the first to do so.
Later life and career
Holmboe published his first textbook in mathematics in 1825. The 274-page book was named Lærebog i Mathematiken. Første Deel (Textbook in Mathematics. Part One). In 1827 he followed with the second volume, Lærebog i Mathematiken. Anden Deel (Textbook in Mathematics. Part Two), consisting of a further 155 pages. He used his own teaching experience as the background for his writing; mainly abstract, the purpose of the books was to instill logical thinking. For instance, in the field geometryGeometry
Geometry arose as the field of knowledge dealing with spatial relationships. Geometry was one of the two fields of pre-modern mathematics, the other being the study of numbers ....
, it enticed readers to envisage a figure instead of putting it to paper. The books became widely used, and were reprinted in four and five volumes respectively.
In 1826, Holmboe was appointed a lecturer at the Royal Frederick University. Some claimed that he owed his appointment to Abel's absence, as the latter was travelling around in Europe at that time. Holmboe also taught mathematics at a military college, from 1826 until his death, and was promoted to professor at the Royal Frederick University in 1834. His later publications include Stereometrie (Stereometry) (1833), Plan- og sfærisk Trigonometrie (Plan and Spherical Trigonometry) (1834), and Lærebog i den høiere Mathematik (Textbook of Advanced Mathematics) (1849). Holmboe was an influence on other mathematicians as well as Abel, including Ole Jacob Broch
Ole Jacob Broch
Ole Jacob Broch was a Norwegian mathematician, physicist, economist and politician. Broch was born in Fredrikstad, the son of war commissary Johan Jørgen Broch and Jensine Laurentze Bentzen . He showed a talent for mathematics at an early age, and after studies in Christiania , he travelled abroad...
(born 1818).
At the university, Holmboe again met Christopher Hansteen, who had become a professor there in 1816. In 1835, Hansteen published his own mathematics textbook for secondary schools. A reaction to Holmboe's books and method of teaching, it was more practically oriented. Holmboe wrote a review of the book for the newspaper Morgenbladet
Morgenbladet
Morgenbladet is a Norwegian weekly newspaper. It was founded in 1819 by the book printer Niels Wulfsberg, and was the country's first daily newspaper. For a long time, it was also the country's biggest newspaper. It was closed down by the German Wehrmacht during World War II...
, in which he advised schools not to use it. A public debate followed, with contributions from other mathematicians. It has been claimed that this was the first debate on the subject of school textbooks in Norway. Hansteen's textbook was not reprinted.
Holmboe also became involved in the field of 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...
. From 1832 to 1848 he was a member of Tilsynskomiteen for private forsørgelses- og understøttelsesselskaper, the country's first public committee for the supervision of insurance companies. On the other side of the table, from 1847 Holmboe was a member of the board of directors
Board of directors
A board of directors is a body of elected or appointed members who jointly oversee the activities of a company or organization. Other names include board of governors, board of managers, board of regents, board of trustees, and board of visitors...
of the insurance company Gjensidige
Gjensidige
Gjensidige Forsikring ASA is a Norwegian insurance company. Though the company has roots back to 1689 when the fire treasury at Nes was founded, Gjensidige in its present form was founded in 2003 when the insurance division of Gjensidige NOR was not made part of its merger with Den norske Bank...
, founded by his former student Ole Jacob Broch.
Legacy
A Bernt Michael Holmboe Memorial Prize for teachers of mathematics was established in 2005, and is awarded annually. The prize money, NOKNorwegian krone
The krone is the currency of Norway and its dependent territories. The plural form is kroner . It is subdivided into 100 øre. The ISO 4217 code is NOK, although the common local abbreviation is kr. The name translates into English as "crown"...
50,000, is taken from the Abel Found, which also cover the Abel Prize
Abel Prize
The Abel Prize is an international prize presented annually by the King of Norway to one or more outstanding mathematicians. The prize is named after Norwegian mathematician Niels Henrik Abel . It has often been described as the "mathematician's Nobel prize" and is among the most prestigious...
. The prize is administered by the board of the Norwegian Mathematical Society
Norwegian Mathematical Society
The Norwegian Mathematical Society is a professional society for mathematicians. It also organizes mathematical contests and the annual Abel symposium. It was formed in 1918, with Carl Størmer elected as its first president....
. The current board chairman is Tom Lindstrøm, professor at the University of Oslo.
A street at Majorstuen
Majorstuen
Majorstuen is a neighbourhood in the Frogner borough in the western part of Oslo, Norway.Majorstuen is known for its vibrant downtown, especially its shopping area. The area has several elegant townhouses circa 1880-1890. The area is also an important public transport junction in Oslo, where all...
in Oslo, Holmboes gate, has been named after Bernt Michael Holmboe. Before 1879 it was named Hansteens gate, after Christopher Hansteen.
Marriage and children
Holmboe married twice. His first wife, Nikoline Antonie Finkenhagen, born 1804 in TotenToten
Toten is a traditional district in Oppland county in the eastern part of Norway. It consists of the municipalities Østre Toten, Vestre Toten, and Gjøvik.Toten was a petty kingdom in the early Viking Ages, with Halfdan Hvitbeinn as the most notable king....
, died in 1839 after five years of marriage. They had three daughters, two of whom (Fredrikke and Nikoline, Jr.) reached adulthood, and one stillborn son. He married his second wife, Ingeborg Thorp in 1842. She was born in 1812 in Voss
Voss
is a municipality in Hordaland county, Norway. It is part of the traditional district of Voss. The administrative center of the municipality is the village of Vossevangen....
. This marriage produced two sons, Christopher and Jens, and two daughters, Cathrine and Olava. Only Jens and Cathrine reached adulthood.
Bernt Michael Holmboe died in 1850, and his second wife outlived him by thirty-three years.