István Fáry
Encyclopedia
István Fáry was a Hungarian-born mathematician
known for his work in geometry
and algebraic topology
. He proved Fáry's theorem
that every planar graph
has a straight line embedding in 1948, and the Fary–Milnor theorem lower-bounding the curvature of a nontrivial knot
in 1949.
.
After studying for a masters degree at the University of Budapest
, he moved to the University of Szeged
, where he earned a Ph.D. in 1947. He then studied at the Sorbonne
before taking a faculty position at the University of Montreal in 1955. He moved to the University of California, Berkeley
in 1958 and became a full professor in 1962. He died on November 2, 1984, in El Cerrito, California
.
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....
known for his work in geometry
Geometry
Geometry arose as the field of knowledge dealing with spatial relationships. Geometry was one of the two fields of pre-modern mathematics, the other being the study of numbers ....
and algebraic topology
Algebraic topology
Algebraic topology is a branch of mathematics which uses tools from abstract algebra to study topological spaces. The basic goal is to find algebraic invariants that classify topological spaces up to homeomorphism, though usually most classify up to homotopy equivalence.Although algebraic topology...
. He proved Fáry's theorem
Fáry's theorem
In mathematics, Fáry's theorem states that any simple planar graph can be drawn without crossings so that its edges are straight line segments. That is, the ability to draw graph edges as curves instead of as straight line segments does not allow a larger class of graphs to be drawn...
that every planar graph
Planar graph
In graph theory, a planar graph is a graph that can be embedded in the plane, i.e., it can be drawn on the plane in such a way that its edges intersect only at their endpoints...
has a straight line embedding in 1948, and the Fary–Milnor theorem lower-bounding the curvature of a nontrivial knot
Knot (mathematics)
In mathematics, a knot is an embedding of a circle in 3-dimensional Euclidean space, R3, considered up to continuous deformations . A crucial difference between the standard mathematical and conventional notions of a knot is that mathematical knots are closed—there are no ends to tie or untie on a...
in 1949.
Biography
Fáry was born June 30, 1922 in Gyula, HungaryGyula, Hungary
Gyula is a city in Békés county in south-eastern Hungary. It lies close to the border with Romania, on the river Fehér-Körös.-History:The first recorded reference to Gyula was in a document dated 1313 which mentions a monastery called Gyulamonostor . By 1332 the settlement around the monastery was...
.
After studying for a masters degree at the University of Budapest
University of Budapest
The Eötvös Loránd University or ELTE, founded in 1635, is the largest university in Hungary, located in Budapest.-History:The university was founded in 1635 in Nagyszombat by the archbishop and theologian Péter Pázmány. Leadership was given over to the Jesuits...
, he moved to the University of Szeged
University of Szeged
The University of Szeged is one of Hungary's most distinguished universities, and is among the most prominent higher education institutions in Central Europe...
, where he earned a Ph.D. in 1947. He then studied at the Sorbonne
Sorbonne
The Sorbonne is an edifice of the Latin Quarter, in Paris, France, which has been the historical house of the former University of Paris...
before taking a faculty position at the University of Montreal in 1955. He moved to the University of California, Berkeley
University of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley , is a teaching and research university established in 1868 and located in Berkeley, California, USA...
in 1958 and became a full professor in 1962. He died on November 2, 1984, in El Cerrito, California
El Cerrito, California
-Transportation:The city's primary transportation infrastructure consists of the El Cerrito Plaza and El Cerrito del Norte BART stations along with several local bus lines, operated by AC Transit, providing access to the surrounding area and the nearby cities of Albany, Berkeley and Richmond...
.