Nineteenth century Ottoman statesman and mathematician Mehmed Emin Pasha (d. 1267/1851) was one of the first officers sent to study abroad by Ottoman Empire. After his education abroad, he was appointed to important government posts and served in crucial burocratic and military positions such as Minister of Mekteb-i Harbiye, Marshal of the Rumeli Army, and Marshal of the Arabian Army. Emin Pasha was sent to England in 1250/1834 and studied mathematics at the University of Cambridge. As a result of his education here, he wrote a book An Introduction to the Calculus of Variations: with a theoretical view of maxima and minima. This work, which was an introduction to the calculus of variations, a new field of research in mathematics at that time, was published in London in 1839. In this study, Emin Pasha's Calculus of Variations is examined scientifically and its importance in its period is tried to be determined. A Turkish translation of the work has also been prepared. In addition, a biography of Emin Pasha's education process in England and his services after his return to his country were compiled in the light of sources and archival documents.

Mühendishane’den Cambridge Üniversitesi’ne: Mehmed Emin Paşa ve Calculus of Variations Adlı Eseri

On dokuzuncu yüzyılda yaşamış Osmanlı devlet adamı ve matematikçi Mehmed Emin Paşa (ö. 1267/1851) Osmanlı Devleti’nin tahsil için Mühendishane’den Avrupa’ya gönderdiği ilk subaylardandır. Eğitiminin ardından yurda dönüşünde önemli devlet görevlerine atanmış ve Mekteb-i Harbiye Nazırlığı, Rumeli Ordusu Müşirliği, Arabistan Ordusu Müşirliği gibi bürokratik ve askerî vazifelerde bulunmuştur. 1250/1834 yılında İngiltere’ye gönderilerek, burada askerî eğitimin ardından Cambridge Üniversitesi’nde matematik tahsili gören Emin Paşa, buradaki eğitiminin semeresi olarak An Introduction to the Calculus of Variations: with a theoretical view of maxima and minima adlı İngilizce bir eser kaleme almıştır. Matematiğin o dönemde yeni bir araştırma alanı olan varyasyonlar hesabına bir giriş mahiyetinde olan bu eser 1839 yılında Londra’da basılmıştır. Bu çalışmada Emin Paşa’nın Calculus of Variations eseri bilimsel açıdan değerlendirilerek dönemindeki konumu belirlenmeye çalışılmıştır. İngilizce olan eserin Türkçe tercümesi de hazırlanmıştır. Ayrıca Emin Paşa’nın İngiltere’deki eğitim süreci ve ülkesine döndükten sonraki hizmetlerine dair malumat, kaynaklar ve arşiv belgeleri ışığında derlenerek bir biyografi oluşturulmuştur.

Anahtar Kelimeler:

Mehmed Emin Paşa, Calculus of Variations, varyasyonlar hesabı, Geç Osmanlılar’da matematik, matematik tarihi.

From Muhendishane to University of Cambridge: Mehmed Emin Pasha and Calculus of Variations

Nineteenth century Ottoman statesman and mathematician Mehmed Emin Pasha (d. 1267/1851) was one of the first officers sent to study abroad by Ottoman Empire. After his education abroad, he was appointed to important government posts and served in crucial burocratic and military positions such as Minister of Mekteb-i Harbiye, Marshal of the Rumeli Army, and Marshal of the Arabian Army. Emin Pasha was sent to England in 1250/1834 and studied mathematics at the University of Cambridge. As a result of his education here, he wrote a book An Introduction to the Calculus of Variations: with a theoretical view of maxima and minima. This work, which was an introduction to the calculus of variations, a new field of research in mathematics at that time, was published in London in 1839. In this study, Emin Pasha's Calculus of Variations is examined scientifically and its importance in its period is tried to be determined. A Turkish translation of the work has also been prepared. In addition, a biography of Emin Pasha's education process in England and his services after his return to his country were compiled in the light of sources and archival documents.

Keywords:

Mehmed Emin Pasha, calculus of variations, mathematics in late-Ottomans, history of mathematics.,

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