Person: Hecht, Daniel Friedrich
Daniel Hecht was a German mathematician who wrote several high school texts.
Mathematical Profile (Excerpt):
- However we do know that Hecht was born in Sosa, near Eibenstock, in the Erzgebirge range of hills which run along the German-Czech border.
- It is no surprise to learn then, that Hecht was influenced by the mining tradition of the area and it is reasonable to assume that before he entered the Bergakademie at Freiberg, Hecht had worked in the mining industry in some capacity.
- Hecht entered the academy with the idea that he would study the topics which were necessary to make him a mining expert.
- After his studies Hecht took up the position of a mine manager, then he became a teacher at the Freiberger Berschule.
- Hecht was appointed second professor of mathematics at the Freiberg Bergakademie in 1816.
- At first he taught elementary pure and applied mathematics, a course which had been previously given by the first professor at the Freiberg Bergakademie F G von Busse, but later Hecht taught only mechanics and mining machinery.
- When von Busse retired in 1826 it was a natural promotion for Hecht to assume the first mathematics chair at the Freiberg Bergakademie and this was indeed the position.
- For this and for his friendly sincere manner Hecht won many friends.
- His next text was Tafeln zur Berechnung der Seigerteufen und Sohlen für die Länge der schwachen Schnur Ⓣ(Tables for calculating the vertical depth and soles for the length of a light cord) (1814) with perhaps his most famous work Erste Gründe der mechanischen Wissenschaften Ⓣ(First course in mechanical sciences) being published in 1819 with a second edition appearing in 1843, ten years after Hecht's death.
Born 8 July 1777, Sosa (near Eibenstock), Saxony (now Germany). Died 13 March 1833, Freiberg, Saxony (now Germany).
View full biography at MacTutor
Tags relevant for this person:
Origin Germany
Thank you to the contributors under CC BY-SA 4.0! 
- Github:
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- non-Github:
- @J-J-O'Connor
- @E-F-Robertson
References
Adapted from other CC BY-SA 4.0 Sources:
- O’Connor, John J; Robertson, Edmund F: MacTutor History of Mathematics Archive
