WOEPCKE (Woepke), Franz. Dessau 6.5.1826 — Paris 25.3.1864, when 37. German Oriental (Arabic) Scholar and Historian of Mathematics in France. Son of postmaster Ernst Ludwig W., educated in Dessau. From 1843 studies of mathematics at Berlin. Ph.D. 1847 Berlin. Now studied Arabic at Bonn under Freytag. PD 1850 Bonn. In 1850 moved to Paris, now also studied Persian (Mohl) and Sanskrit (Foucaux). In 1856-58 teaching mathematics at French Lyceum in Berlin, then again in Paris, also manuscript studies in London and Oxford. At the time of his death he was preparing an edition of al-Bīrūnī. A friend of Hippolyte Taine.

Publications: Diss. Disquisitiones archaeologico-mathematicae circa solaria veterum. 80 p. B. 1847 (on ancient sundials).

– Edited: L’algèbre d’Omar Alkhayyâmî. 20+52+127 p. P. 1851; Extrait du Fakhrî: traité d’algèbre. 8+152 p. P. 1853 (al-Karkhī).

– Four articles on the influence of Indian mathematics on Arabian, in Nouv. Annales de mathématique 1854; Tortolini’s Annali di scienze matematiche 6, 18??; Accad. de’ Nuovi Lincei 1859; “Propagation des chiffres Indiens”, JA 6:1, 1863, 27-79, 248-290.

– On classical mathematics in Arabic literature: Euclid in JA 1851, and Apollonius of Perga in Par. Acad. 1856; several articles on Abu’l-Wafā’s Geometry, 1858-60; articles on Leonardo of Pisa and his Arabic sources, 1854-61.

Sources: M. Cantor, A.D.B. 44, 1898, 209f.; Fück 1955, 204; Gosche, ZDMG Wiss. Jahresber. 1862-67, 46f.; A. Messaoudi, D.O.L.F. 980f.; *E. Narducci, Bulletino Boncompagni 2, 1869, 119-152; *H. Taine, Journal des Débats 5.5.1864; *Taine, Nouveaus essais de critique. Paris 1865, 385-394; bibliography in JA 6:4, 1864, 22f.; Wikipedia.