Person: Von Segner, Johann Andreas
Jan Segner was a Hungarian mathematician who was the first professor of mathematics at Göttingen. He made substantial contributions to the theoery of Dynamics.
Mathematical Profile (Excerpt):
- Segner attended school at Pozsony's Lyceum where he showed special talents for medicine and mathematics.
- Segner's was therefore the first to fill what was to become one of the foremost chairs of mathematics in the world.
- In 1743 Segner was put in charge of the construction of the university observatory which was finished in 1751.
- While at Göttingen Segner discovered that every solid body has three axes of symmetry.
- In 1751 Segner introduced the concept of the surface tension of liquids and made an unsuccessful attempt to give a mathematical description of capillary action.
Born 9 October 1704, Pozsony, Hungary (now Bratislava, Slovakia). Died 5 October 1777, Halle, Prussia (now Germany).
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Origin Slovakia
Thank you to the contributors under CC BY-SA 4.0! 
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- @J-J-O'Connor
- @E-F-Robertson
References
Adapted from other CC BY-SA 4.0 Sources:
- O’Connor, John J; Robertson, Edmund F: MacTutor History of Mathematics Archive
