Arthur Rosenthal
Encyclopedia
Arthur Rosenthal was a German mathematician.
, under Ferdinand Lindemann and Arnold Sommerfeld
at the University of Munich and the Technical University Munich, as well as at the University of Göttingen. After submitting his thesis on regular polyhedra in 1909, he was promoted to assistant at the Technical University in 1911 and then associate professor in the University of Munich in 1920. The following year he was appointed associate professor in the University of Heidelberg, with a promotion to full professor in 1930. Between 1932 and 1933 he served as dean in the faculty of mathematics and natural sciences, but was forced from his university position as a result of Nazi policies against German Jews. He moved to the Netherlands
in 1936 and from there emigrated to the United States in 1939. He was appointed lecturer and research fellow at the University of Michigan
in 1940 with a promotion to assistant professor in 1943. In 1946 he became associate professor at the University of New Mexico
and the following year moved to the Purdue University
as full professor, where he remained until his retirement in 1957. In 1954 he was formally reinstated in the University of Heidelberg. A scholarship at Purdue University is named in his honor.
, in particular the classification of regular polyhedra and Hilbert's axioms
. He also made contributions in analysis
, including to Caratheodory's theory of measure. With the French mathematician Michel Plancherel
, he made contributions in ergodic theory
and dynamical systems.
Career
Rosenthal's mathematical studies started in 1905 in MunichMunich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
, under Ferdinand Lindemann and Arnold Sommerfeld
Arnold Sommerfeld
Arnold Johannes Wilhelm Sommerfeld was a German theoretical physicist who pioneered developments in atomic and quantum physics, and also educated and groomed a large number of students for the new era of theoretical physics...
at the University of Munich and the Technical University Munich, as well as at the University of Göttingen. After submitting his thesis on regular polyhedra in 1909, he was promoted to assistant at the Technical University in 1911 and then associate professor in the University of Munich in 1920. The following year he was appointed associate professor in the University of Heidelberg, with a promotion to full professor in 1930. Between 1932 and 1933 he served as dean in the faculty of mathematics and natural sciences, but was forced from his university position as a result of Nazi policies against German Jews. He moved to the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
in 1936 and from there emigrated to the United States in 1939. He was appointed lecturer and research fellow at the University of Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
in 1940 with a promotion to assistant professor in 1943. In 1946 he became associate professor at the University of New Mexico
University of New Mexico
The University of New Mexico at Albuquerque is a public research university located in Albuquerque, New Mexico, in the United States. It is the state's flagship research institution...
and the following year moved to the Purdue University
Purdue University
Purdue University, located in West Lafayette, Indiana, U.S., is the flagship university of the six-campus Purdue University system. Purdue was founded on May 6, 1869, as a land-grant university when the Indiana General Assembly, taking advantage of the Morrill Act, accepted a donation of land and...
as full professor, where he remained until his retirement in 1957. In 1954 he was formally reinstated in the University of Heidelberg. A scholarship at Purdue University is named in his honor.
Research
Rosenthal's mathematical research was in geometryGeometry
Geometry arose as the field of knowledge dealing with spatial relationships. Geometry was one of the two fields of pre-modern mathematics, the other being the study of numbers ....
, in particular the classification of regular polyhedra and Hilbert's axioms
Hilbert's axioms
Hilbert's axioms are a set of 20 assumptions proposed by David Hilbert in 1899 in his book Grundlagen der Geometrie , as the foundation for a modern treatment of Euclidean geometry...
. He also made contributions in analysis
Analysis
Analysis is the process of breaking a complex topic or substance into smaller parts to gain a better understanding of it. The technique has been applied in the study of mathematics and logic since before Aristotle , though analysis as a formal concept is a relatively recent development.The word is...
, including to Caratheodory's theory of measure. With the French mathematician Michel Plancherel
Michel Plancherel
Michel Plancherel was a Swiss mathematician. He was born in Bussy and obtained his diploma in mathematics from the University of Fribourg in 1907...
, he made contributions in ergodic theory
Ergodic theory
Ergodic theory is a branch of mathematics that studies dynamical systems with an invariant measure and related problems. Its initial development was motivated by problems of statistical physics....
and dynamical systems.