Analyzing the Text in Its Period: Why Have We Misunderstood Masdariyecizade Huseyin Efendi's Treatise of the Trinity and Kavs?

Abstract

Masdariyecizade Huseyin Efendi, one of the lecturers at Muhendishane-i Berri-i Humayun (The Imperial School of Military Engineering), wrote a treatise in h.1238/m.1822 about the ancient problem of trisecting an angle smaller than ninety degrees using Euclidean geometry. This famous problem has its roots in the Ancient Greece. The treatise contains a solution of the problem which is thought to have been achieved by using the tools of Euclidean geometry, a straightedge (an unmarked ruler) and a compass. The proof recorded under the signatures indicating the approval of each of the engineering faculty. The available academic literature about this treatise generally contains comments denigrating the work, the author and the scholarly environment of the period based on the claim that it had already been proven at the time Huseyin Efendi published his treatise, that a positive result could not be reached with the limited tools to be used in the solution. All of this contemporary research originated from a single source, Salih Zeki Bey's articles on the subject written about a century ago. the accuracy of which is debatable in terms of its contents. This study focuses on the claims of this common source as well as the history of the solution to the problem and thus provides a correction to the erroneous information on the subject.