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Person: Schwerdtfeger, Hans Wilhelm Eduard

Hans Wilhelm Eduard Schwerdtfeger was a German-born mathematician who worked in Galois theory, matrix theory, group theory and complex analysis.

Mathematical Profile (Excerpt):

• Hans was brought up in Göttingen where he attended school.
• Hans attended secondary school in Göttingen but before completing his studies he left to work at Siemens-Schuckert in Berlin.
• Schwerdtfeger returned to Göttingen to complete his school education, then entered Göttingen University to study mathematics.
• At Göttingen University Schwerdtfeger attended lectures by David Hilbert, Gustav Herglotz, Richard Courant, James Franck, Max Born and Bartel van der Waerden.
• After the award for his first degree from Göttingen, Schwerdtfeger went to Bonn University.
• Opposition to the Nazis was of course extremely dangerous and ultimately would have meant that Schwerdtfeger would have been killed.
• Schwerdtfeger's son, Peter Schwerdtfeger, lived in Adelaide where he was Professor of Meteorology at Flinders University.
• Schwerdtfeger began publishing mathematics papers after obtaining a position in Australia.
• In 1950 Schwerdtfeger published his first major text aimed at beginning graduate students, Introduction to Linear Algebra and the Theory of Matrices.
• After moving to Canada, Schwerdtfeger published further important textbooks.
• Schwerdtfeger's other important textbook is Introduction to group theory (1976).
• Schwerdtfeger was honoured with election to the Royal Society of Canada in 1964.

Born and Bartel van der Waerden. * After the award for his first degree from Göttingen, Schwerdtfeger went to Bonn University. * Of course during the years that Schwerdtfeger undertook research for his doctorate in Bonn, the political situation in Germany had changed markedly. * Opposition to the Nazis was of course extremely dangerous and ultimately would have meant that Schwerdtfeger would have been killed. * Schwerdtfeger's son, Peter Schwerdtfeger, lived in Adelaide where he was Professor of Meteorology at Flinders University. * Schwerdtfeger began publishing mathematics papers after obtaining a position in Australia. * In 1950 Schwerdtfeger published his first major text aimed at beginning graduate students, Introduction to Linear Algebra and the Theory of Matrices. * After moving to Canada, Schwerdtfeger published further important textbooks. * Schwerdtfeger's other important textbook is Introduction to group theory (1976). * Schwerdtfeger was honoured with election to the Royal Society of Canada in 1964.

Born and Bartel van der Waerden. * After the award for his first degree from Göttingen, Schwerdtfeger went to Bonn University. * Of course during the years that Schwerdtfeger undertook research for his doctorate in Bonn, the political situation in Germany had changed markedly. * Opposition to the Nazis was of course extremely dangerous and ultimately would have meant that Schwerdtfeger would have been killed. * Schwerdtfeger's son, Peter Schwerdtfeger, lived in Adelaide where he was Professor of Meteorology at Flinders University. * Schwerdtfeger began publishing mathematics papers after obtaining a position in Australia. * In 1950 Schwerdtfeger published his first major text aimed at beginning graduate students, Introduction to Linear Algebra and the Theory of Matrices. * After moving to Canada, Schwerdtfeger published further important textbooks. * Schwerdtfeger's other important textbook is Introduction to group theory (1976). * Schwerdtfeger was honoured with election to the Royal Society of Canada in 1964.

Born 9 December 1902, Göttingen, Germany. Died 26 June 1990, Adelaide, Australia.

View full biography at MacTutor

Tags relevant for this person:

Group Theory, Origin Germany

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non-Github:

@J-J-O'Connor

@E-F-Robertson

References

Adapted from other CC BY-SA 4.0 Sources:

1. O’Connor, John J; Robertson, Edmund F: MacTutor History of Mathematics Archive