Friedrich Heinrich Albert Wangerin
Encyclopedia
Friedrich Heinrich Albert Wangerin (November 18, 1844 – October 25, 1933) was a German
mathematician.
Pomerania
, Prussia
(now Gryfice
, Poland
). He studied at the gymnasium at Greifenberg and completed his final examination with an "excellent" grade in 1862.
In spring 1862, Wangerin entered the University of Halle-Wittenberg
, where he studied Mathematics
and Physics
. He was taught by mathematicians Eduard Heine
and Carl Neumann
. In 1864 he moved to the University of Königsberg
. He worked under the supervision of German mathematician Franz Ernst Neumann
. He competed his doctorate from Königsberg University on March 16, 1866. His doctorate thesis was De annulis Newtonianis.
Wangerin became Professor at the University of Berlin
in 1876. He taught mathematics to the first year undergraduates. He left the University of Berlin in 1882 and became ordinary professor at the University of Halle-Wittenberg
. The chair of ordinary professor had fallen vacant because of the death of Eduard Heine, the former teacher of Wangerin.
Wangerin held professorship at Halle for more than thirty five years. During the academic year 1910-11, he was rector of the university. He retired in 1919.
. He was active in mathematical research. He died on October 25, 1933 in Halle.
, spherical functions and differential geometry. He wrote an important two volume treatise on potential theory and spherical functions. Theorie des Potentials und der Kugelfunktionen I was published in 1909 and Theorie des Potentials und der Kugelfunktionen II was published in 1921. He studied Wangerin function
s.
Wangerin was also known for writing of textbooks, encyclopaedias and his historical writings. In 1904, he wrote Theorie der Kugelfunktionen und der verwandten Funktionen, insbesondere der Laméschen und Besselschen (Theorie spezieller, durch lineare Differentialgleichungen definierter Funktionen) on functions such as Lamé function
and Bessel function
for the Encyklopädie der mathematischen Wissenschaften
. In 1909, he wrote an article on optics (Optik ältere Theorie) for the physics volume of the same encyclopaedia.
Wangerin also played an important role in the reviewing of mathematical papers. From 1869 to 1921, he was coeditor of Fortschritte der Mathematik.
. He received many medals, including the 1922 Cothenius medal from the German Academy of Scientists Leopoldina.
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.
Early life
Wangerin was born on November 18, 1844 in GreifenbergGryfice
Gryfice is a town in Pomerania, north-western Poland with 16 632 inhabitants . It is the capital of Gryfice County in West Pomeranian Voivodeship , previously in Szczecin Voivodeship .-History:...
Pomerania
Pomerania
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...
, Prussia
Prussia
Prussia was a German kingdom and historic state originating out of the Duchy of Prussia and the Margraviate of Brandenburg. For centuries, the House of Hohenzollern ruled Prussia, successfully expanding its size by way of an unusually well-organized and effective army. Prussia shaped the history...
(now Gryfice
Gryfice
Gryfice is a town in Pomerania, north-western Poland with 16 632 inhabitants . It is the capital of Gryfice County in West Pomeranian Voivodeship , previously in Szczecin Voivodeship .-History:...
, Poland
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...
). He studied at the gymnasium at Greifenberg and completed his final examination with an "excellent" grade in 1862.
In spring 1862, Wangerin entered the University of Halle-Wittenberg
University of Halle-Wittenberg
The Martin Luther University of Halle-Wittenberg , also referred to as MLU, is a public, research-oriented university in the cities of Halle and Wittenberg within Saxony-Anhalt, Germany...
, where he studied 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...
and Physics
Physics
Physics is a natural science that involves the study of matter and its motion through spacetime, along with related concepts such as energy and force. More broadly, it is the general analysis of nature, conducted in order to understand how the universe behaves.Physics is one of the oldest academic...
. He was taught by mathematicians Eduard Heine
Eduard Heine
Heinrich Eduard Heine was a German mathematician.Heine became known for results on special functions and in real analysis. In particular, he authored an important treatise on spherical harmonics and Legendre functions . He also investigated basic hypergeometric series...
and Carl Neumann
Carl Neumann
Carl Gottfried Neumann was a German mathematician.Neumann was born in Königsberg, Prussia, as the son of the mineralogist, physicist and mathematician Franz Ernst Neumann , who was professor of mineralogy and physics at Königsberg University...
. In 1864 he moved to 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....
. He worked under the supervision of German mathematician Franz Ernst Neumann
Franz Ernst Neumann
Franz Ernst Neumann was a German mineralogist, physicist and mathematician.-Biography:Neumann was born in Joachimsthal, Margraviate of Brandenburg, located not far from Berlin. In 1815 he interrupted his studies at Berlin to serve as a volunteer in the Hundred Days against Napoleon, and was...
. He competed his doctorate from Königsberg University on March 16, 1866. His doctorate thesis was De annulis Newtonianis.
Academic career
After he completing his doctorate, Wangerin took the examinations to become a school teacher. From 1866 to 1867, he trained at the Friedrichswerdersche Gymnasium, Berlin. From 1867 to 1876, he taught mathematics at several gymnasiums.Wangerin became Professor at the University of Berlin
Humboldt University of Berlin
The Humboldt University of Berlin is Berlin's oldest university, founded in 1810 as the University of Berlin by the liberal Prussian educational reformer and linguist Wilhelm von Humboldt, whose university model has strongly influenced other European and Western universities...
in 1876. He taught mathematics to the first year undergraduates. He left the University of Berlin in 1882 and became ordinary professor at the University of Halle-Wittenberg
University of Halle-Wittenberg
The Martin Luther University of Halle-Wittenberg , also referred to as MLU, is a public, research-oriented university in the cities of Halle and Wittenberg within Saxony-Anhalt, Germany...
. The chair of ordinary professor had fallen vacant because of the death of Eduard Heine, the former teacher of Wangerin.
Wangerin held professorship at Halle for more than thirty five years. During the academic year 1910-11, he was rector of the university. He retired in 1919.
Later life
After the retirement, Wangerin continued to live in HalleHalle, Saxony-Anhalt
Halle is the largest city in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt. It is also called Halle an der Saale in order to distinguish it from the town of Halle in North Rhine-Westphalia...
. He was active in mathematical research. He died on October 25, 1933 in Halle.
Work
Wangerin was known for his research on potential theoryPotential theory
In mathematics and mathematical physics, potential theory may be defined as the study of harmonic functions.- Definition and comments :The term "potential theory" was coined in 19th-century physics, when it was realized that the fundamental forces of nature could be modeled using potentials which...
, spherical functions and differential geometry. He wrote an important two volume treatise on potential theory and spherical functions. Theorie des Potentials und der Kugelfunktionen I was published in 1909 and Theorie des Potentials und der Kugelfunktionen II was published in 1921. He studied Wangerin function
Wangerin function
In mathematics, a Wangerin function is a solution of Wangerin's differential equation studied by . Wangerin's equation is a special case of the Lamé equation....
s.
Wangerin was also known for writing of textbooks, encyclopaedias and his historical writings. In 1904, he wrote Theorie der Kugelfunktionen und der verwandten Funktionen, insbesondere der Laméschen und Besselschen (Theorie spezieller, durch lineare Differentialgleichungen definierter Funktionen) on functions such as Lamé function
Lamé function
In mathematics, a Lamé function is a solution of Lamé's equation, a second-order ordinary differential equation. It was introduced in the paper . Lamé's equation appears in the method of separation of variables applied to the Laplace equation in elliptic coordinates...
and Bessel function
Bessel function
In mathematics, Bessel functions, first defined by the mathematician Daniel Bernoulli and generalized by Friedrich Bessel, are canonical solutions y of Bessel's differential equation:...
for the Encyklopädie der mathematischen Wissenschaften
Klein's encyclopedia
In mathematics, Klein’s encyclopedia refers to a German mathematical encyclopedia published in six volumes from 1898 to 1933. Felix Klein and Wilhelm Meyer were organizers of the encyclopedia. Its title in English is "Encyclopedia of mathematical sciences including their applications", which is...
. In 1909, he wrote an article on optics (Optik ältere Theorie) for the physics volume of the same encyclopaedia.
Wangerin also played an important role in the reviewing of mathematical papers. From 1869 to 1921, he was coeditor of Fortschritte der Mathematik.
Honors
Wangerin was elected to the German Academy of Scientists Leopoldina in 1883. From 1906 to 1921, he served as President of the Academy. In 1907, he was awarded an honorary degree from Uppsala UniversityUppsala University
Uppsala University is a research university in Uppsala, Sweden, and is the oldest university in Scandinavia, founded in 1477. It consistently ranks among the best universities in Northern Europe in international rankings and is generally considered one of the most prestigious institutions of...
. He received many medals, including the 1922 Cothenius medal from the German Academy of Scientists Leopoldina.