The mathematical wizard who proposed that parallel lines can intersect was ridiculed and reviled before his death, but why was he praised by thousands of people after his death?

In the academic field, the courage to explore is an indispensable condition for the truth to be discovered. In the vast world, things and theories waiting to be developed and searched are always hidden in the dark, and groping is the most practical method. Only by continuous innovation and breakthrough, with the correct basis, can we find out the truth left by people.

Proof of the fifth postulate

Lobachevsky was born in Russia on 1792. He has a talent for mathematics since childhood.

When he grew up, Lobachevsky was admitted to Kazan University with excellent results, and four years later he got a master's degree in physical mathematics.

This is enough to see Lobachevsky's amazing talent in mathematics, and also paved the way for him to put forward a theory that caused a sensation in the field of mathematics.

After graduation, Lobachevsky stayed as an assistant professor. It was also during this period that he began to explore the theory of non-Euclidean geometry.

As early as the 3rd century BC, Euclid wrote a math book, Elements of Geometry, which contained five axioms and five postulates. With the progress of time, countless mathematical leaders have proved these five axioms and the first four postulates, but there are many disputes and doubts about the fifth postulate.

At this time, Lobachevsky has become a professor at Kazan University. In his student lecture notes, he recorded some proofs of the fifth postulate at that time, but they all ended in failure.

The failure of repeated argumentation made Lobachevsky question this postulate, so he boldly suggested that the fifth postulate might not exist at all.

At first, Lobachevsky denied the fifth postulate by reducing to absurdity, then linked this proposition with other axioms, and finally got a new logical system. This new system geometry was a theory that did not exist in the world at that time, and there were no similar prototypes and analogies in real life. Lobachevsky called this new geometry imaginary geometry.

Public preaching was questioned and opposed.

Lobachevsky was very excited about the discovery of new geometry, which was the unprovable evidence of the fifth postulate he was looking for, so he organized these theories into a paper.

The research needs experiments to verify, and its correctness must be tried many times. It can be said that the birth of a correct theory is difficult because it has to be tested in many ways.

Lobachevsky read his paper at a meeting, which caused a sensation among the participants. Lobachevsky's non-Euclidean geometry: the view that parallel lines can intersect can be said to have overturned part of the original theory of Euclidean geometry. All the scientists present questioned and denied Lobachevsky's theory.

In desperation, famous mathematicians Professor Bolesman, Professor simonov and Professor Gupfer were invited to attend the meeting, so that the three experts could jointly verify the correctness of Lobachevsky's theory.

The great fame of the three professors was realized in Euclidean geometry theory, so it is almost impossible for them to admit that this unknown or even absurd theory is correct. Finally, the academic appraisal team gave a negative written appraisal of Lobachevsky's paper, and the manuscript was lost.

At this time, mathematicians who laughed at and questioned Lobachevsky didn't know what they had missed. The paper published at this conference also marks the birth of non-Euclidean geometry.

Life began to be ridiculed and abused.

With the passage of time, people gradually forgot this paper, but Barochevsky did not give up the study of new geometry.

Lobachevsky became the president of Kazan University, and then he wrote a paper called Geometry Principles. He believes that someone has a similar interest in mathematics. Lobachevsky entrusted this paper to a famous mathematician, Academician Ostrogradski, because this academician has made outstanding achievements in mathematical mechanics.

But what Lobachevsky didn't expect was that this prestigious mathematician showed extremely conservative thoughts when facing his own paper. Not only that, the mathematician also directly belittled the viewpoint of this paper in ironic language, saying that this article is all wet and not worth further study.

Lobachevsky received a lot of ridicule and abuse. Many people anonymously attacked Barochevsky in the academic weekly Sons of the Motherland. Barochevsky tried to defend these attacks, but met with obstacles. Lobachevsky received the most unfair treatment.

Without support, he died of depression.

From then on, Lobachevsky was isolated, no one believed him, and even publicly laughed at and attacked him.

In fact, there are people who discovered non-Euclidean geometry earlier than Lobachevsky, that is, Gauss, known as the king of European mathematics, but Gauss was as timid as a mouse at that time. He knew that once these theories were born, they would cause a sensation and he himself might be attacked, so he chose silence. When he learned about Lobachevsky's situation, he could only silently support him behind his back.

Lobachevsky was blind in his later years, and the Ministry of Education made excuses to remove him from all his posts in Kazan University.

Due to debt, Lobachevsky had to sell his manor, and his children were either dead or poor all their lives.

The double blow of life and career made Lobachevsky indifferent to the world and even more disappointed in the academic circles.

1856, Lobachevsky died at the age of 64. Until the moment of Lobachevsky's death, his theory was not recognized, and it is still regarded as a joke in mathematics. Brave Lobachevsky fell like this, full of regret and unwillingness, but the reality gave him the heaviest blow after all.

Non-Euclidean geometry has been confirmed, and the tragic life has been rehabilitated.

In 12 years after Lobachevsky's death, his gloomy past finally came to light. 1868, Italian mathematician Bethlem published a paper "Interpretation of Non-Euclidean Geometry".

This paper proves the feasibility of non-Euclidean geometry, and the theory of parallel lines intersecting can be realized on the surface of Euclidean space.

Since then, non-Euclidean geometry, which has been shelved for a long time, has received extensive attention and in-depth research in academic circles.

Lobachevsky, who was ridiculed and reviled by people, returned to people's sight. He is called "Copernicus" in mathematics, and thousands of people praise him for his qualities of not being afraid to slander or laugh at the truth.

Truth is like a diamond, which transcends the weathering of time. Only when it is polished by a sharp tool can it shine more brightly. Controversial research can be memorable.

In modern times, the research results are opposed by everyone, which will definitely lead to self-doubt and even drift into the mainstream of society. Lobachevsky taught us not only the love of learning, but also the persistence of self and his best quality, that is, courage.