Mihailo Petrović
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Mihailo Petrovic-Alas - the famous Serbian mathematician and inventor |
Mihailo Petrović Alas (
Serbian Cyrillic: Михаило Петровић Алас) (
1868 -
1943), was an influential Serbian
mathematician and inventor. He was also a distinguished professor at
Belgrade University, an academic of the
Serbian Royal Academy, and a fisherman. He was a student of
Henri Poincare. Petrović contributed significantly to differential equations and phenomenology, as well as inventing one of the first prototypes of an analog computer.
Alas was born on
April 24,
1868, in
Belgrade, as a first child of Nikodim, professor of theology, and Milica (née Lazarević).
He finished the
First Belgrade Gimnasium in
1885, and then he went to Natural science-Mathematical section of the Faculty of Philosophy in Belgrade. He finished his studies in
1889. After that, in September
1889, he went to
Paris to receive further education, and prepare for entering exam for
École Normale Supérieure. He got degree in mathematical sciences on Sorbonne University in
1891 and in physical sciences in
1893. As best student of his generation, he attended a reception at the president of France in 1893, and in 1894. He worked on preparing his doctor's dissertation, and in June 21, 1894 he defended his doctor's degree at the Sorbonne, and received a title
Docteur és sciences mathematiques (doctor of mathematical sciences). His doctorate was in field of
differential equations.
In 1894. Mihailo Petrović became a professor of mathematics in the
Great School in Belgrade. In those days, he was one of the greatest experts for differential equations in the world. He held lectures until his retirement in
1938. In
1897, he became associate member of the
Serbian Royal Academy and associate member of the
Yugoslav Academy of Sciences and Arts in
Zagreb. He became a full member of the Serbian Royal Academy in
1899, when he was only 31.
He was very interested in fishery, and thus his nickname, Alas (river fisherman). In 1882, he became fisherman apprentice, and in 1895 he had an exam for fisherman master. He played violin, and in 1896, he founded musical society named Suz. Mihailo Petrović Alas constructed a hidrointegrator, and won gold medal on World exposition in Paris 1900. When in 1905 the Great School was transformed into
University of Belgrade Petrović was among first eight regular professors, that elected other professors.
Alas published a large number of inventions, scientific works, books and journals from his sea expeditions. He received numerous awards and acknowledgements and was a member of several foreign science academies (
Prague,
Bucharest,
Warsaw,
Krakow) and scientific societies. In 1927, when
Jovan Cvijić died, members of the Serbian academy proposed Mihailo Petrović for the new president of academy, but authorities did not accept this proposal. Probable reason for this was the fact that Mihailo Petrović Alas was a close friend of the prince
Đorđe P. Karađorđević, king's brother, that was arrested in 1925, and was held in house arrest. In 1931, members of the academy, unanimously proposed Alas for the president of the academy, but authorities again dismissed this proposal.
In 1939, Alas became honorary doctor of the Belgrade University. In the same year, he received order of the
Saint Sava of the first class. It is fair to say that Mihailo Petrović Alas is the greatest Serbian mathematician. He also founded the Belgrade school of mathematics, that produced a number of mathematicians that continued Alas's work. All doctor's dissertations defended on the Belgrade University since 1912 until the
Second World War were under his mentorship.
He participated in
Balkan Wars and in
First World War as an officer, and after the war he was reserve officer.Alas practised
cryptography, and his cipher systems were used in Yugoslav army for a long time (until WWII). When Second World War broke out in Yugoslavia, he was again called into the army and Germans captured him. After a while, he was released, because of illness. On June 8,
1943, professor Mihailo Petrović died in his home in Kosančić wreath street in
Belgrade.
Alas was a passionate traveller, and he visited both North and South pole. Mihailo Petrović got nickname "Alas" because of his passion for fishery. He was not only aficionado, but expert as well, so he participated in talks for legislature of the Fishery convention with
Romania, and in talks with Austria-Hungary about the protection of fishery on
Sava,
Drina and
Danube rivers. He was one of the most popular persons of old Belgrade, known as Mika-Alas.
IX-th Belgrade Gymnasium "Mihailo Petrović Alas" is a high school in Belgrade, Serbia named after him.
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Serbian mathematicians
