Prof.Dr. İbrahim Feyyaz Gürsan
Feyyaz Gürsan was born on June 16, 1909, in Istanbul, Cağaloğlu. When he reached the age of reading and writing, he began his education at Feyz-i Ati Mektebi, which is now known as “Işık Lisesi” and was located in a building in Beyazıt at that time. Due to the school’s emphasis on mathematics in its curriculum, Feyyaz Gürsan’s great talent in mathematics became apparent at a young age. After completing his secondary education at this school, he attended high school in Adana and Istanbul, graduating from Istanbul Erkek Lisesi.
After winning the exam opened by Maarif Vekaleti, Feyyaz Gürsan was sent to France in September 1928 to pursue studies in mathematics. On the ship to France, he was accompanied by Cahit Arf, who would also study mathematics, Lütfi Biran, Gülfeza Okay, who would study chemistry, and Nüzhet Gökdoğan, who would study astronomy. After a year of education at Montpellier Lisesi, Feyyaz Gürsan attended the “Mathématiques Spéciales” class at Louis Le Grand Lisesi in Paris. In 1935, he graduated from the Faculty of Science at Paris University with a degree in mathematics.
Feyyaz Gürsan returned to Turkey and on October 1, 1935, he joined Istanbul University Faculty of Science as an assistant lecturer in mathematics. After completing his military service, he was officially appointed as an assistant lecturer in mathematics in 1937. On November 1, 1939, he left Istanbul University and became a mathematics teacher at Vefa Lisesi, where he continued until the University Law was enacted in 1946. In the same year, he joined the Yüksek Mühendis Mektebi (Higher Engineering School), initially as an assistant and later as an associate professor of Analysis and Mathematics. When the law (No. 4619) was enacted on July 12, 1944, transforming Yüksek Mühendis Mektebi into Istanbul Technical University (İTÜ), Feyyaz Gürsan was appointed as an associate professor in mechanics at the İTÜ Faculty of Mechanical Engineering.
On April 15, 1947, under the supervision of Ratıp Berker and Kerim Erim, Feyyaz Gürsan earned the title of “Fen Doktoru” (Doctor of Science) from Istanbul University Faculty of Science with his thesis titled “Les éléments d’ordre supérieur d’une courbe gauche” (Higher Order Elements of a Left Curve). In 1948, he became one of the founding members of the Turkish Mathematical Society. On June 6, 1949, with a report bearing the signatures of five professors, he was promoted to the position of professor by the Istanbul Technical University (İTÜ) Senate.
Feyyaz Gürsan was tragically killed on March 29, 1950, at the age of 41. He was shot with a pistol by a student in his office at Istanbul Technical University’s Gümüşsuyu building. As a result, classes at Istanbul University were canceled on March 31, 1950, and after a memorial ceremony at Istanbul Technical University, Feyyaz Gürsan was laid to rest.
*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.