Yom Tov Lipman Lipkin

Yom Tov Lipman Lipkin (Hebrew: יום טוב ליפמן ליפקין, Russian: Йом Тов Липман Липкин; 1846 – February 21 [O.S. February 9] 1876) was a Lithuanian Jewish mathematician and inventor. He was the youngest son of notable Rabbi Yisroel Salanter, the founder of Kovno Kollel.

Lipkin is best known for the Peaucellier–Lipkin linkage which was partly named after him.[1][2] The device also known as "Lipkin parallelogram".[3] Lipkin discovered the linkage independent from Peaucellier in 1871.[1] A model of Lipkin's invention was exhibited at the exposition at Vienna in 1873, and was later secured from the inventor by the Museum of the Institute of Engineers of Ways of Communication, St. Petersburg.

Biography

Lipkin was born in Salantai, department of Kovno, in 1846. He became interested in science and mathematics since childhood. Not knowing any European language, he had to derive his information from Hebrew books alone. He later mastered German and French and went to study at University of Königsberg at the age of 17. He received a Ph.D. degree at Jena University with a thesis titled "Ueber die Räumlichen Strophoiden." He then moved to St. Petersburg, to work at University of St. Petersburg and continue his studies under Pafnuty Chebyshev. Soon afterwards he died in 1876 from smallpox.

Lipkin broke from traditional Jewish life, but kept interests in Jewish affairs and published in Ha-Tsefirah newspaper.

References

  1. 1 2 Mathematical tutorial of the Peaucellier–Lipkin linkage
  2. How to draw a straight line by Daina Taimina
  3. Lipkin, in 1906 Jewish Encyclopedia.

 This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Jewish Encyclopedia. 1901–1906. 

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