Gheorghe Țițeica (; 4 October 1873 – 5 February 1939) publishing as George or Georges Tzitzéica) was a Romanian mathematician who made important contributions in geometry. He is recognized as the founder of the Romanian school of differential geometry. Education He was born in Turnu Severin, western Oltenia, the son of Anca (née Ciolănescu) and Radu Țiței, originally from Cilibia, in Buzău County. His name was registered as Țițeica–a combination of his parents' surnames. He showed an early interest in science, as well as music and literature. Țițeica was an accomplished violinist, having studied music since childhood: music was to remain his hobby. While studying at the Carol I High School in Craiova, he contributed to the school's magazine, writing the columns on mathematics and studies of literary critique. After graduation in 1892, he obtained a scholarship at the preparatory school in Bucharest, where he also was admitted as a student in the Mathematics Department of University of Bucharest's Faculty of Sciences. His teachers there included David Emmanuel, Spiru Haret, Constantin Gogu, Dimitrie Petrescu, and Iacob Lahovary. In June 1895, he graduated with a Bachelor of Mathematics. In the summer of 1896, after a stint as a substitute teacher at the Bucharest theological seminary, Țițeica passed his exams for promotion to a secondary school position, becoming teacher in Galați. In 1897, on the advice of teachers and friends, Țițeica completed his studies at a preparatory school in Paris. Among his mates were Henri Lebesgue and Paul Montel. After ranking first in his class and earning a second undergraduate degree from the Sorbonne in 1897, he was admitted at the École Normale Supérieure, where he took classes with Paul Appell, Gaston Darboux, Édouard Goursat, Charles Hermite, Gabriel Koenigs, Émile Picard, Henri Poincaré, and Jules Tannery. Țițeica chose Darboux to be his thesis advisor; after working for two years on his doctoral dissertation, titled Sur les congruences cycliques et sur les systèmes triplement conjugués, he defended it on 30 June 1899 before a board of examiners consisting of Darboux (as chair), Goursat, and Koenigs. Career Upon his return to Romania, Țițeica was appointed assistant professor at the University of Bucharest. He was promoted to full professor on 3 May 1903, retaining this position until his death in 1939. He also taught mathematics at the Polytechnic University of Bucharest, starting in 1928. In 1913, at age 40, Țițeica was elected as a permanent