Prof.Dr. Salih Murat Uzdilek
Salih Murat Uzdilek was born on February 6, 1891, in Istanbul. He graduated from the Naval Academy in 1908 with the rank of lieutenant. In 1911, he was sent to the University of London by the Ministry of Post and Telegraph to study “Electrical and Wireless Telegraph Engineering.” Uzdilek had a deep interest in the history of science from an early age. His presentation titled “Introduction of Logarithms into Turkey”, delivered at the Royal Society of Edinburgh on July 25, 1914, can be considered the first international presentation on the history of science in Turkey. Due to World War I, he returned to Turkey without completing his studies. In 1914, he began teaching physics at the Heybeliada Naval Academy.
In 1928, he joined the faculty of the Higher Engineering School as a lecturer. When the institution was renamed Istanbul Technical University in 1944, he became an ordained professor in the Chair of Physics at the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering. He also began teaching mathematics at Robert College.
Salih Murat Uzdilek also conducted studies in musicology. A connoisseur of both Turkish and Western music, his treatise titled “Science and Music”, published by the Istanbul Municipal Conservatory, contains striking results regarding the physical and mathematical aspects of the Turkish music system. Together with Hüseyin Sadettin Arel and Suphi Ezgi, Uzdilek played a pioneering role in scientifically analyzing Turkish music and placing it within a systematic framework. This team is recognized as the founding theorists of the Turkish music system still in use today.
In 1948, he was among the founding members of the Turkish Mathematical Society, and two years later, of the Turkish Physical Society. He also contributed significantly to the establishment and development of the Faculty of Mining at Istanbul Technical University. From 1956 to 1958, he served as dean of the Faculty of Mining.
Ord. Prof. Dr. Salih Murat Uzdilek passed away on December 4, 1967, at Gureba Hospital, where he was receiving treatment. His funeral was held on December 5, 1967, at the ITU Taşkışla building, and he was buried in the family cemetery.
*This biography was compiled by our board member Özkan Değer for the booklet “TMD 75 Yılın Ardından,” prepared on the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the Turkish Mathematical Society.