Johannes Kepler Symposium für Mathematik
Im Rahmen des Special Semester on Computational Mechanics wird Prof.
em. Dr.-Ing. Dr.-Ing. E.h. Dr. h.c. mult. Erwin Stein (Universität
Hannover) am Donnerstag, 10. November 2005 um 19.00 Uhr im Hörsaal
10 einen öffentlichen Vortrag (mit anschließender Diskussion)
zum Thema "Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz - far ahead of his time" halten, zu dem
die Veranstalter,
O.Univ.-Prof. Dr. Ulrich Langer,
Univ.-Prof. Dr. Gerhard Larcher
A.Univ.-Prof. Dr. Jürgen Maaß, und
die ÖMG (Österreichische Mathematische Gesellschaft)
sowie
O.Univ.-Prof. Dr. Heinz Engl (Johann Radon Institute - ÖAW)
hiermit herzlich einladen. Der Intention des Symposiums entsprechend
ist der Vortrag so konzipiert, dass er nicht nur für Spezialisten,
sondern auch für Studierende aller Semester und Gäste von
außerhalb der Universität interessant ist.
Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz - far ahead of his time
The design and research for our (so far seven) Hannover Leibniz
Exhibitions since 1990, entitled "Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz (1646-1716):
Philosopher, Mathematician, Physicist, Engineer,...", follows the intention
"Leibniz for touching and understanding" by presenting the key ideas of his
multi-ingenious intellectual achievements in the so-called 'Leibniz worlds'
with his postulates "Theoria cum Praxi" and "Commune Bonum" and showing new
fully functional and vivid models of his technical inventions, especially
his calculating machines, in the second half of the 17th century which is
often called 'the cradle of modern natural sciences and engineering
technology'. After an introduction into Leibniz' guidelines of thinking in
humanities as well as the key points of his inventions in mathematics and
physics, a major part of the lecture treats the history of his decimal
"Four-Function-Calculating Machines" from 1673 and 1693-1695 and of the
"Machina Arithmeticae Dyadicae", the binary calculating machine, described
in 1679. Special attention is given to the principal and technical
insufficiencies of Leibniz' machines, furthermore J. T. Lehmann's replicas
of the "large" decimal Four-Function Machine, built in Dresden in the 80th
of last century, and L. von Mackensen's first design of Leibniz' binary
machine for adding and multiplying from 1969 in Munich, built by the
Deutsches Museum München in 1971, as well as our new-designed models which
overcome the shortcomings of the originals and the former replicas in regard
of the authenticity with the original machines to the greatest possible
extend. Also Leibniz' major technical developments for mining in the Harz
mountains with the goals of saving human efforts and energy are outlined by
Powerpoint pictures. The lecture ends with considerations on his
philosophical concepts and with reflections on the restless personality of
this so-called last universal scholar.
