The first student to earn a doctorate in mathematics from the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Vassilios Lakon, received his degree in 1850. His academic career transformed the Greek educational landscape by integrating modern French mathematical principles, which he encountered during his post-doctoral studies at the Sorbonne, into the standardized curricula used across the nation for decades.
Academic Foundation and Training
Born on the island of Kea in 1831, Lakon pursued his early education locally before attending the Gymnasium in Athens. At the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, he studied under physicist Dimitrios Stroumpos and astronomer Georgios Konstantinos Vouris. Following his 1850 doctorate, he moved to Paris to study with Joseph Bertrand. During this time, he became acquainted with the research of Joseph Liouville, Augustin-Louis Cauchy, Bernard Lamy, and Jacques Charles François Sturm.
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Returning to Greece, Lakon worked at the National Observatory of Athens starting in 1854, assisting Vouris. He held teaching positions at the Second Gymnasium of Athens from 1854 until 1864. Concurrently, he served as an adjunct professor of experimental physics and later as a professor of pure and applied mathematics at the University of Athens. He achieved the rank of full professor in 1868 and served as dean of the institution from 1880 to 1881. His textbooks, including an 1857 translation of Bertrand’s arithmetic work and his own 1882 publication, Elements of Geometry, became foundational texts for students.
Scientific Research and Principles
Lakon's research extended beyond pure mathematics into electromagnetism and astronomy. He analyzed the acceleration of gravity across various cities, calculating rates to four decimal places, and distinguished between the mass and weight of bodies. He argued against the existence of a perfect vacuum, favoring the existence of Aether. In his geometric work, he sought to extend Euclid's Elements by introducing the concept of motion relative to geometric figures in both planar and spatial dimensions.
Fast facts
- Born: 1831, Kea
- Died: 1900, Athens
- Field: Applied and pure mathematics
- Higher Education: National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, University of Paris
- Academic Positions: University of Athens (1854-1900), National Observatory of Athens (1854)
- Positions Held: Dean (1880-1881)
Questions readers ask
What subjects did Vassilios Lakon teach?
He taught experimental physics, as well as pure and applied mathematics at the university level.
What was his primary contribution to geometry?
He expanded upon Euclid's Elements by introducing the concept of motion to geometry and analyzing the placement of figures in space.
Achievements
- Held posts at National and Kapodistrian University of Athens and National Observatory of Athens
- Fields: pure mathematics and applied mathematics
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