Bernt Michael Holmboe | |
|---|---|
 Bernt Michael Holmboe | |
| Born | 23 March 1795 |
| Died | 28 March 1850 (aged 55) Christiania, Norway |
| Nationality | Norwegian |
| Alma mater | Royal Frederick University (partly autodidact) |
| Known for | Tutor of Niels Henrik Abel Influential textbooks |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Mathematics |
| Institutions | Christiania Cathedral School (1818–1826) Royal Frederick University (1826–1850) |
Bernt Michael Holmboe (23 March 1795 – 28 March 1850)[1] 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.[2]
- ^ Birkeland, Bent. "Matematikklærerne ved Universitetet i Oslo" (in Norwegian). University of Oslo. Archived from the original on 12 April 2008. Retrieved 13 October 2010.
- ^ "Holmboe, Bernt Michael". Store norske leksikon (in Norwegian). Kunnskapsforlaget. 2007. Retrieved 9 November 2008.