Valentine Bargmann
Encyclopedia
Valentine Bargmann was a German born American mathematician
and physicist
.
Born in Berlin, Germany, Bargmann studied there from 1925 to 1933. After the Machtergreifung
he moved to Switzerland to the University of Zürich
where he received his Ph.D. under Gregor Wentzel
.
He emigrated to the U.S., barely managing immigration acceptance as his German passport was to be revoked.
At the Institute for Advanced Study
in Princeton
he worked as an assistant to Albert Einstein
.
He found the irreducible unitary representations of SL2(R)
and the
Lorentz group
(1947).
Bargmann was elected a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
in 1968. In 1978 he received the The Wigner Medal
together with Wigner himself in the founding year of the prize. In 1988 he received the Max Planck medal
of the German Physical Society.
He died in Princeton
in 1989.
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 physicist
Physicist
A physicist is a scientist who studies or practices physics. Physicists study a wide range of physical phenomena in many branches of physics spanning all length scales: from sub-atomic particles of which all ordinary matter is made to the behavior of the material Universe as a whole...
.
Born in Berlin, Germany, Bargmann studied there from 1925 to 1933. After the Machtergreifung
Machtergreifung
Machtergreifung is a German word meaning "seizure of power". It is normally used specifically to refer to the Nazi takeover of power in the democratic Weimar Republic on 30 January 1933, the day Hitler was sworn in as Chancellor of Germany, turning it into the Nazi German dictatorship.-Term:The...
he moved to Switzerland to the University of Zürich
University of Zurich
The University of Zurich , located in the city of Zurich, is the largest university in Switzerland, with over 25,000 students. It was founded in 1833 from the existing colleges of theology, law, medicine and a new faculty of philosophy....
where he received his Ph.D. under Gregor Wentzel
Gregor Wentzel
Gregor Wentzel was a German physicist known for development of quantum mechanics. Wentzel, Hendrik Kramers, and Léon Brillouin developed the Wentzel–Kramers–Brillouin approximation in 1926...
.
He emigrated to the U.S., barely managing immigration acceptance as his German passport was to be revoked.
At the Institute for Advanced Study
Institute for Advanced Study
The Institute for Advanced Study, located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States, is an independent postgraduate center for theoretical research and intellectual inquiry. It was founded in 1930 by Abraham Flexner...
in Princeton
Princeton, New Jersey
Princeton is a community located in Mercer County, New Jersey, United States. It is best known as the location of Princeton University, which has been sited in the community since 1756...
he worked as an assistant to 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...
.
He found the irreducible unitary representations of SL2(R)
Representation theory of SL2(R)
In mathematics, the main results concerning irreducible unitary representations of the Lie group SL are due to Gelfand and Naimark , V...
and the
Lorentz group
Representations of the Lorentz group
The Lorentz group of theoretical physics has a variety of representations, corresponding to particles with integer and half-integer spins in quantum field theory. These representations are normally constructed out of spinors....
(1947).
Bargmann was elected a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
American Academy of Arts and Sciences
The American Academy of Arts and Sciences is an independent policy research center that conducts multidisciplinary studies of complex and emerging problems. The Academy’s elected members are leaders in the academic disciplines, the arts, business, and public affairs.James Bowdoin, John Adams, and...
in 1968. In 1978 he received the The Wigner Medal
The Wigner Medal
The Wigner Medal, is an award designed "to recognize outstanding contributions to the understanding of physics through Group Theory". The Wigner Medal is administered by The Group Theory and Fundamental Physics Foundation, a publicly supported organization...
together with Wigner himself in the founding year of the prize. In 1988 he received the Max Planck medal
Max Planck medal
The Max Planck medal is an award for extraordinary achievements in theoretical physics. It is awarded annually by the Deutsche Physikalische Gesellschaft , the world's largest organization of physicists.-List of recipients:...
of the German Physical Society.
He died in Princeton
Princeton, New Jersey
Princeton is a community located in Mercer County, New Jersey, United States. It is best known as the location of Princeton University, which has been sited in the community since 1756...
in 1989.