Jakob Philipp Wolfers

Jakob Philipp Wolfers (born May 31, 1803 in Minden ; † April 22, 1878 in Berlin ) was a German astronomer and mathematician .

life and work

Jakob Philipp Wolfers was born on May 31, 1803 in Minden. After attending grammar school in his hometown , he first studied construction in Berlin, but soon turned to mathematics. Johann Franz Encke , director of the observatory of the Academy of Sciences in Berlin, won him over in 1824 as an employee for the calculations for the Berlin Astronomical Yearbook ; he remained in this position until 1864.

In 1836 he received from the University of Greifswald the doctoral degree and 1852 in Berlin the title of professor .

Wolfers published works on geometry , series development (mainly in Grunert's archive for mathematics and physics ) and computational astronomy (mainly in the Astronomische Nachrichten ). He edited the Tabulae Regiomontanae, begun by Friedrich Wilhelm Bessel and continued by Julius Zech , for the period from 1860 to 1880. He also edited two sheets as part of the Berlin Academic Star Maps project .

He made particular contributions to the publication of Leonhard Euler's Mechanics in German and the first German translation of Isaac Newton's Principia Mathematica .

Furthermore, as a member of the Society for Geography in Berlin, he published numerous geographic and meteorological works. Wolfers was one of Alexander von Humboldt's more important correspondence partners .

Fonts

Tabulae Reductionum observationum astronomicarum annis 1860 usque ad 1880 respondentes auctore J. Ph. Wolfers - Additae sunt: Tabulae Regiomontanae annis 1850 usque ad 1860 respondentes from Ill. Zech continuatae. Ferd. Duemmler, Berlin 1858.
( digitized version )

Translations

Leonhard Euler's MECHANIK or analytical representation of the science of motion with notes and explanations, edited by J. Ph. Wolfers. CA Koch's publishing house, Greifswald 1853.
( digitized version )

Sir Isaac Newton's Mathematical Principles of Natural Science - Edited with remarks and explanations by Prof. Dr. J. Ph. Wolfers. Published by Robert Oppenheim, Berlin 1872.
( Wikisource )

literature

Siegmund Günther : Wolfers: Jakob Philipp . In: Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie (ADB). Volume 44, Duncker & Humblot, Leipzig 1898, p. 6 f.

Web links

Wikisource: Jakob Philipp Wolfers - Sources and full texts

Publications by J. Ph. Wolfers in the Astrophysics Data System

Individual evidence

^ Jürgen Hamel : Bessel's project of the Berlin academic star maps. In: The Stars. Volume 65 (1989), pp. 11-19, here p. 15.
↑ Kurt-R. Biermann: Who were Alexander von Humboldt's most important correspondents? In: NTM series for the history of natural sciences, technology and medicine, 18th year 1981, pp. 34–43, here p. 43.

personal data
SURNAME	Wolfers, Jakob Philipp
ALTERNATIVE NAMES	Wolfers, Jacob Philipp
BRIEF DESCRIPTION	German astronomer and mathematician
DATE OF BIRTH	May 31, 1803
PLACE OF BIRTH	Minden
DATE OF DEATH	April 22, 1878
Place of death	Berlin

[1] Jürgen Hamel : Bessel's project of the Berlin academic star maps. In: The Stars. Volume 65 (1989), pp. 11-19, here p. 15.

[2] Kurt-R. Biermann: Who were Alexander von Humboldt's most important correspondents? In: NTM series for the history of natural sciences, technology and medicine, 18th year 1981, pp. 34–43, here p. 43.