Ruy Luís Gomes (1905-1984)
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Ruy Luís Gomes was born in Oporto on 5 December 1905. His father, António Luís Gomes, had been a politician during the first republic in Portugal. Ruy Luís Gomes graduated in Mathematics from the University of Coimbra and obtained his PhD in 1928. In 1929, he became a Lecturer at the Faculty of Sciences of University of Oporto, where he started as an Assistant Lecturer in Advanced Algebra and Projective Geometry. In 1930/31, he was assigned the subject of Mathematical Physics. In 1933, at the age of 28, be became Full Professor. He was the director of the Astronomy Department, having promoted the setting up of an academic astronomy observatory at Monte da Virgem.
On 18 February 1942, Ruy Luís Gomes founded the Centre of Mathematical Studies of Oporto, as part of the Faculty of Science. The support group of this centre was made up of the following mathematicians: António Aniceto Monteiro (1907-1980), Antonio Almeida e Costa (1903–1978), Ruy Luís Gomes, Luís Neves Real (1910-1985), Gonçalves Miranda, Pereira de Barros and Pereira Gomes.
Ruy Luís Gomes was elected Chairman of the Comissão Distrital do Porto of the Movimento de Unidade Democrática (MUD), having been on its lists, for which he was later arrested. The death of Professor Abel Salazar (1889-1946), formerly dismissed from his university duties by the government, gave rise to dissatisfaction and protest demonstrations against the New State, and for the establishment of a democratic system. Ruy Luís Gomes was one of the intervening activists and, as such, was once again arrested. He supported the candidacy of General Norton de Matos (1867-1955) to the Presidency of the Republic. In the meantime, the Government had made MUD illegal. Some members of this movement therefore decided to establish a new one, which was called Movimento Nacional Democrático (MND), of which Ruy Luís Gomes was made chairman. After drawing up the principles defended by MND, Ruy L. Gomes was arrested once more. He was later arrested again when the problems started in Goa, Damão and Diu.
In 1947, he was dismissed from the positions he held at the University of Oporto for political reasons. In 1951, he was put forward as a candidate to the Presidency of the Republic, along with Rear-Admiral Quintão Meireles, against the candidate of the regime, General Craveiro Lopes. However, his candidacy was rejected by the Council of State, which had been created in the meantime by Salazar’s government. Ruy L. Gomes commented this episode: “For the first time in my life I failed; the first time I failed was as a candidate to the Presidency of the Republic.” (cit. in Evocação do Prof. Ruy Luís Gomes, 1996)
In 1957, Ruy Luís Gomes was arrested once again, together with other leaders of the Movimento Nacional Democrático and went on trial ten months later, having been sentenced by the Plenary Court of Oporto to 24 months in prison. In 1958, he left Portugal and went to live in Argentina, having accepted António Aniceto Monteiro’s invitation to be the head of the Courses in Mathematical Analysis, of the Post-Graduate Degree in Mathematics, at the Institute of Mathematics of the Universidade Nacional del Sur, in the city of Bahia Blanca. In 1962, he went to Brazil, to the Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, were he met up with Zaluar Nunes, Pereira Gomes and José Morgado.
After the revolution of 25 April 1974, Ruy Luís Gomes returned to Portugal, where he arrived on 10 June 1974. He accepted the post of member of the Council of State and took over as Dean of University of Oporto. He was Dean in 1974 and 1975, and retired from office on 5 December 1975. He contributed to the launch of the Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas Abel Salazar, and continued to carry out work in the field of mathematics and to cooperate with the Sociedade Portuguesa de Matemática. Ruy Luís Gomes passed away on 27 October 1984.
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Scientific Activity
DRuy Luís Gomes was awarded his PhD from the University of Coimbra in 1928 with the presentation and defence of his thesis called Desvio das Trajectórias de um Sistema Holónomo. In 1933, he was assigned the subject of Mathematical Physics of the senior year of the Post-graduate Degree in Mathematical Sciences. In 1933, he applied for the position of Full Professor with the dissertation Sobre a Estabilidade dos Movimentos de um Sistema Holónomo. In his classes on Mathematical Physics, he introduced new problems and tried to involve his students in their resolution. Several times, he lectured courses on the Theory of Relativity, Theory of Potential, Theory of Measurement and Integration, Hilbert Space and Quantic Mechanics.
In preparing his contest dissertation for the position of Full Professor, Ruy Luís was inspired by the article by Tullio Levi-Civita (1873-1941) “Sur L’écart géodésique” published in the Mathematische Annalen magazine. He studied and used other papers by Levi-Civita in his work, having established personal relationships with this mathematician who promoted the publication of twelve works by Ruy L. Gomes, in the Rendiconti della Academia dei Lincei magazine. Two of the works published in the Rendiconti studied themes connected to the notions introduced by Louis de Broglie, namely “Quelques considérations sur l´équation fondamentale de la nouvelle conception de la lumière de Louis de Broglie” and “Sur la propriété de l’opérateur H. de Louis de Broglie”. De Broglie mentioned these works in his classes at the Instituto Henri Poincaré, which led Ruy Luís Gomes to publish some results in the magazine Journal de Physique et Radium magazine.
In the meantime, Ruy Gomes was invited by the members of the Mathematics, Physics, and Chemistry Nucleus, set up in Lisbon by António Aniceto Monteiro (1907-1980), Manuel Valadares (1904-1982) and Aurélio Marques da Silva, inter alia, to present four conferences: “As equações fundamentais e o seu grupo de invariância” , “O tempo em relatividade”, “A interpretação física das fórmulas de Lorentz”, and “Cinemática relativista”.
The theory of relativity was the centre of attention of Ruy Luís Gomes at the time, having familiarised himself with Cálculo Diferencial Absoluto and with Riemannian Geometry. He began to socialise regularly with Professor Abel Salazar, which enabled him to become acquainted with neopositivism and to start paying more and more attention to the Theory of Relativity. In the meantime, he published a series or articles about Relativity in Seara Nova, by Gago Coutinho’s request. These articles were later published together in one volume titled A Relatividade, origem, evolução e tendências actuais, Lisbon, Seara Nova, 1938.
Amongst other relevant activities, particularly worthy of mention was the participation of Ruy Luís Gomes in an effort to promote mathematics in Portugal, which translated into the foundation of two magazines – Portugaliae Mathematica, in 1937, dedicated to research, and Gazeta de Matemática, in 1939, dedicated to dissemination – and in the foundation of the Sociedade Portuguesa de Matemática, in 1940. Meanwhile, the former ISCEF, Centro de Estudos de Matemáticas Aplicadas à Economia, was founded in 1938, and the Centro de Estudos Matemáticos de Lisboa, in 1940.
On 11 October 1941, Ruy Luís Gomes arranged a presentation to be given to the Chairman of Instituto para a Alta Cultura (I.P.A.C.), Celestino da Costa (1884-1956), in which he put forward the creation of a Mathematical Studies Centre, at the Faculty of Science of the University of Oporto. The Centre was made formal in 1942 and Ruy Luís Gomes was appointed director. The establishment of this centre formed part of a strategy prepared by Ruy Luís Gomes and other Portuguese mathematicians, such as António Aniceto Monteiro and Mira Fernandes, to promote the research and education of mathematics in Portugal, encouraging debate and scientific cooperation amongst Portuguese researchers and with foreign scientists.
During its start-up year, this Mathematical Studies Centre was very active, through initiatives by António Almeida e Costa, Manuel Gonçalves Miranda, Manuel Pereira de Barros, Luís Neves Real and Ruy Luís Gomes, who presented communications to the Luso-Spanish Conference for the Progress of Science, and published several works. A course by António A. Monteiro, called “Introdução ao Estudo da Noção de Função Contínua”, was also promoted, as were a series of lectures by A. A. Monteiro and conferences by Bento Caraça. A seminar on Theoretical Physics was also held by Guido Beck (1903-1988), who also chaired a course on “Introduction to the Quanta Theory”.
In 1943, Mira Fernandes, António Monteiro and Ruy Luís Gomes founded the Junta de Investigação Matemática, which many Portuguese mathematicians of the time joined. The aim of this Assembly was to promote the development of scientific research, to systematise and coordinate the scientific research of Portuguese mathematicians, to establish relationships with the mathematical movement in other countries and to stimulate the interest of young people in mathematical research.
In Argentina, he chaired the Analysis courses of the 4th year of the post-Graduate Degree in Mathematics, of the Institute of Mathematics of the Universidade Nacional del Sur, in the city of Bahia Blanca, where Aniceto Monteiro already lived. In 1962, Ruy Luís Gomes accepted an invitation from the Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, in Recife, to teach the Mathematics Course, to prepare teaching staff, to carry out research work and to guide assistant lecturers and scholars.
At the Universidade de Pernambuco, along with his academic activities, Ruy Luís Gomes took over, together with José Morgado, the management of the Textos de Matemática collection. Soon after, the two mathematicians founded two new collections Notas e Comunicações de Matemática and Notas de Curso. Both were decisive in training future PhD graduates. In 1967, Gomes and Morgado started a Masters degree in Mathematics at the UFPE, which acquired remarkable prestige, having produced many Masters and contributed also to the awarding of PhDs.
After his retirement from office, in 1975, Ruy Luís Gomes continued to develop works in mathematics, running seminars, supporting Portuguese and Brazilian scholars, participating in conferences promoted by the Sociedade Portuguese de Matemática and publishing articles in the Boletim da S. P. M.
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Publications
See List of Publications
Fernando Reis
Bibliography
Associação Intervenção Democrática, Evocação do Prof. Ruy Luís Gomes, Porto, 1996
MORGADO, José, “O professor Ruy Luís Gomes e o movimento matemático português”, Anais da Fac. de Ciências do Porto, 67(97) 1986, pp. 97-151.
MORGADO, José, “Ruy Luís Gomes, Professor, e Companheiro”, Boletim da Sociedade Portuguesa de Matemática, n.º 8, 1985, pp. 5-31.
REAL, Luís Neves, A obra de investigação empreendida recentemente pelo Prof. Ruy Luís Gomes no domínio das matemáticas, Lisboa, 1953.
REAL, Luís Neves, “Testemunho” (palavras lidas na reunião de homenagem de antigos alunos e amigos do Professor Ruy Luís Gomes, realizada na antiga sala de Desenho da Faculdade de Ciências do Porto, no dia do seu jubileu – 5 de Dezembro de 1975), Boletim da Sociedade Portuguesa de Matemática, n.º 8, 1985, pp. 33-40.
REAL, Luís Neves, “Nota acerca do Professor Ruy Luís Gomes como professor universitário e cientista”, posfácio ao volume GOMES, Ruy Luís, Problemas de Investigação e História, Porto, Inova, 1969.
REAL, Luís Neves, “Ruy Luís Gomes: o professor e o matemático”, Jornal de Letras, Artes e Ideias, Ano IV, n.º 123, 13-19 de Novembro de 1984.
REAL, Luís Neves, “A obra de investigação empreendida recentemente pelo Prof. Ruy Luís Gomes no domínio das Matemáticas”, Diário de Lisboa, 01/04/1953.
REAL, Luís Neves, “A propósito do Integral de Riemann do Prof. Doutor Ruy Luís Gomes”, Diário de Lisboa, 02/12/1949.
Hyperlinks
Ruy Luís Gomes por Luís Neves Real (1953)
Boletim da SPM nº 8 (Set. de 1985), ff. 4-40 – “À Memória de Ruy Luís Gomes”
O Prof. Ruy Luis Gomes no Recife, pelo Prof. Fernando Cardoso
Galeria de Matemáticos Portugueses - Ruy Luís Gomes
Appendix – Publications
Sobre o desvio das trajectórias dum sistema holónomo, dissertação de doutoramento, Coimbra, 1928.
Teses de matemática que se propõe defender na prova de doutoramento, Lisboa, 1928.
Sobre a estabilidade dos movimentos de sistema holónomo, dissertação para concurso a professor catedrático, Porto, 1929.
“Sobre o desvio geodésico”, separata de O Instituto, vol. 77, Coimbra, 1929.
Sobre os princípios de Gauss e de Hertz, Lisboa, 1929.
“Sur les mouvements isoénergétiques", Rendiconti della Academia Nazionalidei Lincei, 1930.
"Sur l’existence de la dérivée normale d’un potentiel de simple couche", Rendiconti della Academia Nazionalidei Lincei, 1932.
"Sur les limites de la derivée normale d’un potentiel de simple couche", Rendiconti della Academia Nazionalidei Lincei, 1932
"Sur la transformation canonique simultannée de plusieurs matrices non-hermitiènnes ni unitaires", Rendiconti della Academia Nazionalidei Lincei, 1932.
"Energia electrostática", Anais da Faculdade de Ciências do Porto, 1932.
“Opérateurs linéaires, matrices limitées", Rendiconti della Academia Nazionalidei Lincei, 1933.
"Encore sur les opérateurs linéaires, remarques complémentaires", Rendiconti della Academia Nazionalidei Lincei, 1933.
"Les matrices de Dirac dans un espace Riemannien", Rendiconti della Academia Nazionalidei Lincei, 1934.
"L’Opérateur S, opéarateur de Schroedinger", Rendiconti della Academia Nazionalidei Lincei, 1935.
"Quelques considérations sur l’équation fondamentale de la Nouvelle Conception de la Lumière du Prof, Louis de Broglie", Rendiconti della Academia Nazionalidei Lincei, 1935.
"Sur une proprieté de l’opérateur de Schroedinger", Rendiconti della Academia Nazionalidei Lincei, 1936.
"Caracterização matricial dos sistemas canónicos de Hamilton, Aplicações”, Anais da Faculdade de Ciências do Porto, 1936.
Étude des Systèmes de Dirac au sens large", apresentado pelo Prof. Louis de Broglie ao Journal de Physique et Radium, 1937.
"Análise neo-positivista das noções de espaço e tempo”, conferência integrada nas comemorações do primeiro centenário da Universidade do Porto, 1937.
“A Relatividade Restrita”, conferências realizadas a convite do Núcleo de Matemática, Física e Química, no Instituto Superior Técnico, Lisboa, 1937.
“Sur la cinématique relativiste des systémes", apresentado pelo Prof. Louis de Broglie ao Journal de Physique et Radium, 1938.
"Les changements de référentiel et la cinématique des ensembles de points", Portugaliae Mathematica, 1938.
A Relatividade, origem, evolução e tendências actuais, Lisboa, Seara Nova, 1938.
Teoria da Relatividade Restrita, publicação do Núcleo de Matemática, Física e Química, Lisboa, 1938.
“Algumas aplicações da noção de matriz associada a um vector”, Portugaliae Mathematica, Lisboa, 1940.
“Sobre o objectivo dos cursos promovidos pela Secção de Matemática da Faculdade de Ciências do Porto, Gazeta de Matemática, n.º9, 1942, pp. 13-14.
“Levi-Civita”, Anais da Faculdade de Ciências do Porto, 28, 1943, pp. 5-7.
“Sur une généralisation de l’opérateur E", separata da Portugaliae Physica, Centro de Estudos Matemáticos do Porto, 1943.
“O Valor Social da Investigação Científica”, Gazeta de Matemática, n.º 19, 1944, pp. 16-17.
“Sobre uma construção algébrica da noção de integral”, comunicação apresentada ao Congresso Luso-Espanhol de Córdova de 1944, Porto, Centro de Estudos Matemáticos do Porto, 1944.
A Teoria da Medida e a Mecânica Quântica”, conferências realizadas a convite da Sociedade Portuguesa de Matemática, na Faculdade de Ciências de Lisboa, 1945.
“Exemplos de álgebras que admitem um tipo particular de involução”, Gazeta de Matemática, 1945.
Série de 15 artigos publicados no Diário de Lisboa a favor da investigação científica, Abril a Setembro de 1945.
“O Problema do Ensino em Portugal”, Gazeta de Matemática, 27, 1946, pp. 12-14.
Au sujet de la notion de fonctionelle”, Portugaliae Mathematica, 1946.
"A noção de integral baseada na medida à Jordan”, Gazeta de Matemática, 1946.
“Crítica à tese de doutoramento do Doutor Pereira Gomes, Gazeta de Matemática, Lisboa, 1947.
“Algumas propriedades dos conjuntos de ordenadas, Gazeta de Matemática, Lisboa, 1947.
“O Professor Bento Caraça, grande educador”, Gazeta de Matemática, Lisboa, 1948.
“Comprimento duma curva, área duma superfície”, Gazeta de Matemática, Lisboa, 1948.
Integral de Riemann, Porto, Junta de Investigação Matemática, 1949.
“A função de Dirac, sua interpretação matemática”, Gazeta de Matemática, Lisboa, 1950.
“A função de Dirac, sua interpretação matemática (II)”, Gazeta de Matemática, Lisboa, 1951.
“A função de Dirac, sua interpretação matemática (III)”, Gazeta de Matemática, Lisboa, 1951.
“Integral de Riemann-Stieltjes num espaço loaclmente compacto”, Gazeta de Matemática, Lisboa, 1951.
“Exemplo de conjunto não mensurável à Lebesgue”, Gazeta de Matemática, Lisboa, 1952.
“Duas desigualdades”, Gazeta de Matemática, Lisboa, 1952.
Integral de Lebesgue-Stieltjes (I), Definição, Somabilidade e Mesnurabilidade, Teorema de Riesz, Porto, Junta de Investigação Matemática, 1952.
Sobre as relações entre Integral de Riemann e Integral de Lebesgue, Prémio Artur Malheiros, Academia das Ciências de Lisboa, 1953.
“Albert Einstein/E=mc2: o mais urgente problema do nosso tempo”, in Problemas de Investigação e História, Porto, Editorial Inova, 1969.
Teoria da Relatividade/Espaço, Tempo, Gravitação, Lisboa, Ed. Monsanto, 1954.
“Tentativas feitas nos anos 40 para criar no Porto uma Escola de Matemática”, Boletim da Sociedade Portuguesa de Matemática, 6, 1983, pp. 29-48.
Ruy Luís Gomes e Luís Neves Real, De Poincaré ao Intuicionismo Actual na Crítica dos Fundamentos da Matemática; Reflexos no Pensamento Filosófico e Matemático Português, Braga, Faculdade de Filosofia, 1955.
Ruy Luís Gomes e Luís Neves Real, “António Aniceto Monteiro e o C. E. M. do Porto (1941-1944”, Portugaliae Mathematica, 39, 1980, pp. IX-XIV.
