Gerhard Kowalewski
Encyclopedia
Dr. Gerhard Kowalewski was a German
mathematician
and member of the Nazi party who introduced the matrices notation
.
, then part of the German Empire
. He was the son of Julius Leonard Kowalewski, a school teacher. In 1893 he left home to attend the University of Königsberg
, where his brother Christian Kowalewski was a professor of philosophy and mathematics. There he studied mathematics and philosophy before enrolling at the University of Greifswald, before eventually settling at the University of Leipzig
, where he earned his doctorate with the thesis Über eine Kategorie von Transformationsgruppen einer vierdimensionalen Mannigfaltigkeit in 1898. At Leipzig he was a student of Sophus Lie
, where he was considered one of Lie's most elite and gifted students.
in 1904. In 1909 he left for Prague
to assume an appointment to a German-based school, before taking a position with the German University
of Prague in 1912. From there he took a position at the Dresden University of Technology
, culminating in his appointment as Rector in 1935. In 1937 he requested leave and was granted such from the Reich Ministry of Education. He returned to the German University of Prague in 1939 where he held a position until 1945, which following the expulsion of Germans following the war, fled to Munich
where he established himself at the Munich University of Technology.
in 1909 with his work titled Determinantentheorie. He researched theories of determinants, transformation groups, natural and differential geometry, and approximation and interpolation, publishing over 100 works, including Vorlesungen über natürliche Geometrie, the German translation of Ernesto Cesàro
's work, Das Integral und seine geometrischen Anwendungen in 1910, Über Bolzanos Nichtdifferenzierbare Stetige Funktion, Der Keplersche Korper und andere Bauspiele in 1938, and his memoir in 1950, Bestand und Wandel, as well as 24 mathematical textbooks. He was awarded the Lobachevsky Diploma in 1927.
Kowalewski was a member of the Saxon Academy of Sciences, the Société Mathématique de France
, and socially associated with members of the Louvre Circle and Prague intellectual elite, which included Berta Fanta, Oskar Kraus
, Franz Kafka
, Hugo Bergmann
, Philipp Frank
, Albert Einstein
, and Christian von Ehrenfels
.
Kowalewski died in 1950.
in mathematics.
that "he has been sent to us by Providence." This helped him secure his position as Rector at the Dresden University of Technology.
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
mathematician
Mathematician
A mathematician is a person whose primary area of study is the field of mathematics. Mathematicians are concerned with quantity, structure, space, and change....
and member of the Nazi party who introduced the matrices notation
Table of mathematical symbols by introduction date
The following table lists many specialized symbols commonly used in mathematics, ordered by their introduction date.-Source:*...
.
Early life
Waldemar Hermann Gerhard Kowalewski was born March 27, 1876 in PomeraniaPomerania
Pomerania is a historical region on the south shore of the Baltic Sea. Divided between Germany and Poland, it stretches roughly from the Recknitz River near Stralsund in the West, via the Oder River delta near Szczecin, to the mouth of the Vistula River near Gdańsk in the East...
, then part of the German Empire
German Empire
The German Empire refers to Germany during the "Second Reich" period from the unification of Germany and proclamation of Wilhelm I as German Emperor on 18 January 1871, to 1918, when it became a federal republic after defeat in World War I and the abdication of the Emperor, Wilhelm II.The German...
. He was the son of Julius Leonard Kowalewski, a school teacher. In 1893 he left home to attend the University of Königsberg
University of Königsberg
The University of Königsberg was the university of Königsberg in East Prussia. It was founded in 1544 as second Protestant academy by Duke Albert of Prussia, and was commonly known as the Albertina....
, where his brother Christian Kowalewski was a professor of philosophy and mathematics. There he studied mathematics and philosophy before enrolling at the University of Greifswald, before eventually settling at the University of Leipzig
University of Leipzig
The University of Leipzig , located in Leipzig in the Free State of Saxony, Germany, is one of the oldest universities in the world and the second-oldest university in Germany...
, where he earned his doctorate with the thesis Über eine Kategorie von Transformationsgruppen einer vierdimensionalen Mannigfaltigkeit in 1898. At Leipzig he was a student of Sophus Lie
Sophus Lie
Marius Sophus Lie was a Norwegian mathematician. He largely created the theory of continuous symmetry, and applied it to the study of geometry and differential equations.- Biography :...
, where he was considered one of Lie's most elite and gifted students.
Academia
In 1901 he became an associate professor at the University of Greifswald before moving on to the University of BonnUniversity of Bonn
The University of Bonn is a public research university located in Bonn, Germany. Founded in its present form in 1818, as the linear successor of earlier academic institutions, the University of Bonn is today one of the leading universities in Germany. The University of Bonn offers a large number...
in 1904. In 1909 he left for Prague
Prague
Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
to assume an appointment to a German-based school, before taking a position with the German University
Charles University in Prague
Charles University in Prague is the oldest and largest university in the Czech Republic. Founded in 1348, it was the first university in Central Europe and is also considered the earliest German university...
of Prague in 1912. From there he took a position at the Dresden University of Technology
Dresden University of Technology
The Technische Universität Dresden is the largest institute of higher education in the city of Dresden, the largest university in Saxony and one of the 10 largest universities in Germany with 36,066 students...
, culminating in his appointment as Rector in 1935. In 1937 he requested leave and was granted such from the Reich Ministry of Education. He returned to the German University of Prague in 1939 where he held a position until 1945, which following the expulsion of Germans following the war, fled to Munich
Munich
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...
where he established himself at the Munich University of Technology.
Legacy
Kowalewski is known for the introduction of the matrices notationTable of mathematical symbols by introduction date
The following table lists many specialized symbols commonly used in mathematics, ordered by their introduction date.-Source:*...
in 1909 with his work titled Determinantentheorie. He researched theories of determinants, transformation groups, natural and differential geometry, and approximation and interpolation, publishing over 100 works, including Vorlesungen über natürliche Geometrie, the German translation of Ernesto Cesàro
Ernesto Cesàro
Ernesto Cesàro was an Italian mathematician who worked in the field of differential geometry.Cesàro was born in Naples. He is known also for his 'averaging' method for the summation of divergent series, known as the Cesàro mean.-Books by E. Cesaro:* * Ernesto Cesàro (March 12, 1859 – September...
's work, Das Integral und seine geometrischen Anwendungen in 1910, Über Bolzanos Nichtdifferenzierbare Stetige Funktion, Der Keplersche Korper und andere Bauspiele in 1938, and his memoir in 1950, Bestand und Wandel, as well as 24 mathematical textbooks. He was awarded the Lobachevsky Diploma in 1927.
Kowalewski was a member of the Saxon Academy of Sciences, the Société Mathématique de France
Société Mathématique de France
The Société Mathématique de France is the main professional society of French mathematicians.The society was founded in 1872 by Émile Lemoine and is one of the oldest mathematical societies in existence...
, and socially associated with members of the Louvre Circle and Prague intellectual elite, which included Berta Fanta, Oskar Kraus
Oskar Kraus
Oskar Kraus was a Czech philosopher, jurist.-Life:Oskar Kraus, who converted from the Jewish to the Protestant faith, was the son of Hermann Kraus and Clara Reitler-Eidlitz...
, Franz Kafka
Franz Kafka
Franz Kafka was a culturally influential German-language author of short stories and novels. Contemporary critics and academics, including Vladimir Nabokov, regard Kafka as one of the best writers of the 20th century...
, Hugo Bergmann
Hugo Bergmann
Samuel Hugo Bergman, or Samuel Bergman was a German and Israeli Jewish philosopher.-Biography:...
, Philipp Frank
Philipp Frank
Philipp Frank was a physicist, mathematician and also an influential philosopher during the first half of the 20th century. He was a logical-positivist, and a member of the Vienna Circle.He was born on 20 March 1884 in Vienna, Austria, and died on 21 July 1966 in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA...
, Albert Einstein
Albert Einstein
Albert Einstein was a German-born theoretical physicist who developed the theory of general relativity, effecting a revolution in physics. For this achievement, Einstein is often regarded as the father of modern physics and one of the most prolific intellects in human history...
, and Christian von Ehrenfels
Christian von Ehrenfels
Christian von Ehrenfels was an Austrian philosopher, and is known as one of the founders and precursors of Gestalt psychology.- Life :...
.
Kowalewski died in 1950.
Women in mathematics
Kowalewski was a champion of women in mathematics, and the first woman to be a scientific assistant in a mathematical department at a university in Germany worked under him. In the early 1930s he persuaded more women at German universities than anyone else to become doctorsDoctor (title)
Doctor, as a title, originates from the Latin word of the same spelling and meaning. The word is originally an agentive noun of the Latin verb docēre . It has been used as an honored academic title for over a millennium in Europe, where it dates back to the rise of the university. This use spread...
in mathematics.
Nazi party membership
Kowalewski was a member of the Nazi party, who said about Adolf HitlerAdolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler was an Austrian-born German politician and the leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party , commonly referred to as the Nazi Party). He was Chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945, and head of state from 1934 to 1945...
that "he has been sent to us by Providence." This helped him secure his position as Rector at the Dresden University of Technology.