David Masser
Encyclopedia
David William Masser is Professor
of Mathematics
at the University of Basel
, in Basel
, Switzerland
. He obtained his Ph.D.
from University of Cambridge
in 1974 on the topic of Elliptic Functions
and Transcendence
.
Before his appointment at the Mathematics Institute in Basel, Masser taught at the University of Michigan
. He is known for his work in number theory
, and was elected to the Royal Society
in 2005.
Along with Joseph Oesterlé
, Masser formulated the abc conjecture
in 1985. It has been stated that this conjecture
"is the most important unsolved problem in Diophantine analysis". An example of diophantine analysis would be the attempt to solve Fermat's last theorem
.
Professor
A professor is a scholarly teacher; the precise meaning of the term varies by country. Literally, professor derives from Latin as a "person who professes" being usually an expert in arts or sciences; a teacher of high rank...
of Mathematics
Mathematics
Mathematics is the study of quantity, space, structure, and change. Mathematicians seek out patterns and formulate new conjectures. Mathematicians resolve the truth or falsity of conjectures by mathematical proofs, which are arguments sufficient to convince other mathematicians of their validity...
at the University of Basel
University of Basel
The University of Basel is located in Basel, Switzerland, and is considered to be one of leading universities in the country...
, in Basel
Basel
Basel or Basle In the national languages of Switzerland the city is also known as Bâle , Basilea and Basilea is Switzerland's third most populous city with about 166,000 inhabitants. Located where the Swiss, French and German borders meet, Basel also has suburbs in France and Germany...
, Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
. He obtained his Ph.D.
Doctor of Philosophy
Doctor of Philosophy, abbreviated as Ph.D., PhD, D.Phil., or DPhil , in English-speaking countries, is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities...
from University of Cambridge
University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...
in 1974 on the topic of Elliptic Functions
Elliptic function
In complex analysis, an elliptic function is a function defined on the complex plane that is periodic in two directions and at the same time is meromorphic...
and Transcendence
Transcendental function
A transcendental function is a function that does not satisfy a polynomial equation whose coefficients are themselves polynomials, in contrast to an algebraic function, which does satisfy such an equation...
.
Before his appointment at the Mathematics Institute in Basel, Masser taught 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...
. He is known for his work in number theory
Number theory
Number theory is a branch of pure mathematics devoted primarily to the study of the integers. Number theorists study prime numbers as well...
, and was elected to the Royal Society
Royal Society
The Royal Society of London for Improving Natural Knowledge, known simply as the Royal Society, is a learned society for science, and is possibly the oldest such society in existence. Founded in November 1660, it was granted a Royal Charter by King Charles II as the "Royal Society of London"...
in 2005.
Along with Joseph Oesterlé
Joseph Oesterlé
Joseph Oesterlé is a French mathematician who, along with David Masser, formulated the abc conjecture in 1985. It is perhaps the most important unsolved problem in diophantine analysis.-External links:*...
, Masser formulated the abc conjecture
Abc conjecture
The abc conjecture is a conjecture in number theory, first proposed by Joseph Oesterlé and David Masser in 1985. The conjecture is stated in terms of three positive integers, a, b and c , which have no common factor and satisfy a + b = c...
in 1985. It has been stated that this conjecture
Conjecture
A conjecture is a proposition that is unproven but is thought to be true and has not been disproven. Karl Popper pioneered the use of the term "conjecture" in scientific philosophy. Conjecture is contrasted by hypothesis , which is a testable statement based on accepted grounds...
"is the most important unsolved problem in Diophantine analysis". An example of diophantine analysis would be the attempt to solve Fermat's last theorem
Fermat's Last Theorem
In number theory, Fermat's Last Theorem states that no three positive integers a, b, and c can satisfy the equation an + bn = cn for any integer value of n greater than two....
.