Person: Arvesen, Ole Peder
Ole Peder Arvesen was a Norwegian engineer and mathematician who worked in the field of descriptive geometry.
Mathematical Profile (Excerpt):
- Arvesen's schooling was in Fredrikstad where he finished high school in 1913, and after working at the foundry of a mechanical workshop in Fredrikstad for a few months, he travelled to Trondheim to study at the Norwegian Institute of Technology (Norges Tekniske Høgskole, known as NTH), where he qualified as a structural engineer in 1918.
- Ole Peder Arvesen dedicated most of his life to the NTH, at first actively engaged in the student community and later as a teacher for 45 years.
- In 1919, Arvesen was appointed as an assistant at the NTH working with reinforced concrete and stone bridges, but in 1921 he moved on to teaching descriptive geometry, which he would continue doing for the rest of his life.
- Among Arvesen's earliest publications on geometry are "Quelques études sur la largeur des courbes" Ⓣ(Studies on the width of curves) (1926), "Om grundlaeggelsen av den diskriptive geometri ved Monge" Ⓣ(On the foundations of descriptive geometry of Monge) (1928), "Remarque sur un théorème de Chasles" Ⓣ(Remark on a theorem of Chasles) (1929), "Sur un théorème de Duhamel" Ⓣ(On a theorem of Duhamel) (1931), and "Un théorème sur le rayon de courbure de certaines courbes de direction" Ⓣ(A theorem on the radius of curvature of certain direction curves) (1931).
- From 1938, Arvesen was appointed to a professorship at the NTH which he held until he retired in 1965.
- Arvesen's scientific production included two popular textbooks, one about nomography and one on descriptive geometry.
- Recollections) published in 1976, Arvesen talks about his numerous stays in Paris, and how he could enjoy French culture and science.
- It goes without saying that Arvesen was a professor who was able to convey valuable cultural notions to his students and who was a bridge between the two cultures.
- Arvesen was a central figure in student circles and, in particular, played a major role in the Student Society in Trondheim.
- At this time Arvesen was the treasurer of the Student Union.
- After his release from Falstad, but still during the German occupation, Arvesen was responsible for the distribution of a total of 27 tons of food supplies to the staff of the NTH that had been sent as a gift from colleagues at the Danish Institute of Technology.
- Arvesen was an outstanding lecturer, much loved by his students.
- When electronic calculating machines started entering universities and research institutes around 1960, nomography became obsolete, as well as the slide rule, which Arvesen had been responsible for introducing to the new students.
- Descriptive geometry, which he had been teaching to thousands of students for more than 40 years, was removed from NTH's courses in 1965, the same year as Arvesen retired.
- Arvesen's strong sense of formalities and tradition, as well as his stately figure, made him an ideal master of ceremonies, both for Trondheim municipality, and for the NTH and the Student Union.
- Arvesen was a member of the Royal Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters from 1934 and was its general secretary from 1950 to 1966.
Born 27 March 1895, Fredrikstad, Norway. Died 23 January 1991, Trondheim, Norway.
View full biography at MacTutor
Tags relevant for this person:
Origin Norway
Thank you to the contributors under CC BY-SA 4.0! 
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- @J-J-O'Connor
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References
Adapted from other CC BY-SA 4.0 Sources:
- O’Connor, John J; Robertson, Edmund F: MacTutor History of Mathematics Archive
