Zygmunt Janiszewski
Encyclopedia
Zygmunt Janiszewski was a Polish
mathematician
.
and was an important person in finance
, being the director of the Société du Crédit Municipal in Warsaw.
Janiszewski taught at the University of Lwów and was professor at the University of Warsaw. At the outbreak of World War I
he was a soldier in the Polish Legions
of Józef Piłsudski, fighting for Polish independence.
With Piłsudski himself and other officers, he refused to swear an oath of allegiance to the Austria
n government. He left the Legions and hid under the false name Zygmunt Wicherkiewicz in Boiska
, near Zwoleń
. From Boiska he moved on to Ewin, near Włoszczowa, where he directed a shelter for homeless children.
At the end of World War I
, Janiszewski was the driving force behind the creation of one of the strongest schools of mathematics in the world. This is all the more remarkable, given Poland's difficult situaltion at war's end.
Janiszewski devoted the family property that he had inherited from his father to charity and education. He also donated all the prize money that he received from mathematical awards and competitions to the education and development of young Polish students.
In mathematics, his main interest was topology
.
He was the driving force, together with Wacław Sierpiński and Stefan Mazurkiewicz
, behind the founding of the mathematics journal Fundamenta Mathematicae
. Janiszewski proposed the name of the journal in 1919, though the first issue was published in 1920, after his death. It was his intent that the first issue comprise solely contributions by Polish mathematicians. It was Janiszewski's vision that Poland become a world leader in the field of mathematics—which she did in the interbellum.
His life was cut short by the influenza pandemic
of 1918-19, which took his life at Lwów on 3 January 1920 at the age of 31. He willed his body for medical research, and his cranium for craniological study, desiring to be "useful after his death".
Samuel Dickstein
wrote a commemorative address after Janiszewski's death, honoring his humility, kindness and dedication to his work:
While Janiszewski best remembered for his many contributions to topological mathematics
in the early 20th century, for the founding of Fundamenta Mathematicae
, and for his enthusiasm for teaching young minds, his loyalty to his homeland during the Great War perhaps gives the greatest insight into his psyche. The orphans' shelter that he set up during the war doubtlessly saved many lives, and is perhaps his greatest contribution to the world.
His premature death, while a great loss to mathematics, was also an immense loss generally to society and to the world.
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
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....
.
Life
His mother was Julia Szulc-Chojnicka. His father, Czeslaw Janiszewski, was a graduate of the University of WarsawUniversity of Warsaw
The University of Warsaw is the largest university in Poland and one of the most prestigious, ranked as best Polish university in 2010 and 2011...
and was an important person in finance
Finance
"Finance" is often defined simply as the management of money or “funds” management Modern finance, however, is a family of business activity that includes the origination, marketing, and management of cash and money surrogates through a variety of capital accounts, instruments, and markets created...
, being the director of the Société du Crédit Municipal in Warsaw.
Janiszewski taught at the University of Lwów and was professor at the University of Warsaw. At the outbreak of World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
he was a soldier in the Polish Legions
Polish Legions in World War I
Polish Legions was the name of Polish armed forces created in August 1914 in Galicia. Thanks to the efforts of KSSN and the Polish members of the Austrian parliament, the unit became an independent formation of the Austro-Hungarian Army...
of Józef Piłsudski, fighting for Polish independence.
With Piłsudski himself and other officers, he refused to swear an oath of allegiance to the Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
n government. He left the Legions and hid under the false name Zygmunt Wicherkiewicz in Boiska
Boiska
Boiska is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Solec nad Wisłą, within Lipsko County, Masovian Voivodeship, in east-central Poland. It lies approximately north of Solec nad Wisłą, east of Lipsko, and south-east of Warsaw.-References:...
, near Zwoleń
Zwolen
Zwoleń is a town in Poland, in Mazowsze Voivodeship, about 30 km east of Radom. It is the capital of Zwoleń County. Population is 8048 .- People :* Stanisław Chomętowski* Jan Karol Tarło* Stanisław Tarło...
. From Boiska he moved on to Ewin, near Włoszczowa, where he directed a shelter for homeless children.
At the end of World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, Janiszewski was the driving force behind the creation of one of the strongest schools of mathematics in the world. This is all the more remarkable, given Poland's difficult situaltion at war's end.
Janiszewski devoted the family property that he had inherited from his father to charity and education. He also donated all the prize money that he received from mathematical awards and competitions to the education and development of young Polish students.
In mathematics, his main interest was topology
Topology
Topology is a major area of mathematics concerned with properties that are preserved under continuous deformations of objects, such as deformations that involve stretching, but no tearing or gluing...
.
He was the driving force, together with Wacław Sierpiński and Stefan Mazurkiewicz
Stefan Mazurkiewicz
Stefan Mazurkiewicz was a Polish mathematician who worked in mathematical analysis, topology, and probability. He was a student of Wacław Sierpiński and a member of the Polish Academy of Learning...
, behind the founding of the mathematics journal Fundamenta Mathematicae
Fundamenta Mathematicae
Fundamenta Mathematicae is a scientific journal of mathematics with a special focus on the foundations of mathematics. At present, it concentrates on papers devoted to set theory, mathematical logic, topology and its interactions with algebra, and dynamical systems...
. Janiszewski proposed the name of the journal in 1919, though the first issue was published in 1920, after his death. It was his intent that the first issue comprise solely contributions by Polish mathematicians. It was Janiszewski's vision that Poland become a world leader in the field of mathematics—which she did in the interbellum.
His life was cut short by the influenza pandemic
Influenza pandemic
An influenza pandemic is an epidemic of an influenza virus that spreads on a worldwide scale and infects a large proportion of the human population. In contrast to the regular seasonal epidemics of influenza, these pandemics occur irregularly, with the 1918 Spanish flu the most serious pandemic in...
of 1918-19, which took his life at Lwów on 3 January 1920 at the age of 31. He willed his body for medical research, and his cranium for craniological study, desiring to be "useful after his death".
Samuel Dickstein
Samuel Dickstein (mathematician)
Samuel Dickstein was a Polish mathematician of Jewish origin. He was one of the founders of the Jewish party "Zjednoczenie" , which advocated the assimilation of Polish Jews....
wrote a commemorative address after Janiszewski's death, honoring his humility, kindness and dedication to his work:
While Janiszewski best remembered for his many contributions to topological mathematics
Topology
Topology is a major area of mathematics concerned with properties that are preserved under continuous deformations of objects, such as deformations that involve stretching, but no tearing or gluing...
in the early 20th century, for the founding of Fundamenta Mathematicae
Fundamenta Mathematicae
Fundamenta Mathematicae is a scientific journal of mathematics with a special focus on the foundations of mathematics. At present, it concentrates on papers devoted to set theory, mathematical logic, topology and its interactions with algebra, and dynamical systems...
, and for his enthusiasm for teaching young minds, his loyalty to his homeland during the Great War perhaps gives the greatest insight into his psyche. The orphans' shelter that he set up during the war doubtlessly saved many lives, and is perhaps his greatest contribution to the world.
His premature death, while a great loss to mathematics, was also an immense loss generally to society and to the world.