Leo Königsberger
Encyclopedia
Leo Königsberger was a German
mathematician, and historian of science
. He is best known for his three-volume biography of Hermann von Helmholtz
, which remains the standard reference on the subject.
, Poland
), the son of a successful merchant. He studied at the University of Berlin with Karl Weierstrass
, where he taught mathematics and physics (1860-64). He taught at the University of Greifswald (assistant professor, 1864-66; professor, 1866-69), the University of Heidelberg (1869-75), the Technische Universität Dresden (1875-77), and the University of Vienna
(1877-84) before returning to Heidelberg in 1884, where remained until his retirement in 1914.
In 1919 he published his autobiography, Mein Leben
(My Life). The biography of Helmholtz was published in 1902 and 1903. He also wrote a biography of C. G. J. Jacobi.
Königsberger's own research was primarily on elliptic function
s and differential equation
s. He worked closely with Lazarus Fuchs
, a childhood friend.
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, and historian of science
History of science
The history of science is the study of the historical development of human understandings of the natural world and the domains of the social sciences....
. He is best known for his three-volume biography of Hermann von Helmholtz
Hermann von Helmholtz
Hermann Ludwig Ferdinand von Helmholtz was a German physician and physicist who made significant contributions to several widely varied areas of modern science...
, which remains the standard reference on the subject.
Biography
Königsberger was born in Posen (now PoznańPoznan
Poznań is a city on the Warta river in west-central Poland, with a population of 556,022 in June 2009. It is among the oldest cities in Poland, and was one of the most important centres in the early Polish state, whose first rulers were buried at Poznań's cathedral. It is sometimes claimed to be...
, 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...
), the son of a successful merchant. He studied at the University of Berlin with Karl Weierstrass
Karl Weierstrass
Karl Theodor Wilhelm Weierstrass was a German mathematician who is often cited as the "father of modern analysis".- Biography :Weierstrass was born in Ostenfelde, part of Ennigerloh, Province of Westphalia....
, where he taught mathematics and physics (1860-64). He taught at the University of Greifswald (assistant professor, 1864-66; professor, 1866-69), the University of Heidelberg (1869-75), the Technische Universität Dresden (1875-77), and the University of Vienna
University of Vienna
The University of Vienna is a public university located in Vienna, Austria. It was founded by Duke Rudolph IV in 1365 and is the oldest university in the German-speaking world...
(1877-84) before returning to Heidelberg in 1884, where remained until his retirement in 1914.
In 1919 he published his autobiography, Mein Leben
Mein Leben
Mein Leben is the title of several German autobiographies, including those of the following people :...
(My Life). The biography of Helmholtz was published in 1902 and 1903. He also wrote a biography of C. G. J. Jacobi.
Königsberger's own research was primarily on elliptic function
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...
s and differential equation
Differential equation
A differential equation is a mathematical equation for an unknown function of one or several variables that relates the values of the function itself and its derivatives of various orders...
s. He worked closely with Lazarus Fuchs
Lazarus Fuchs
Lazarus Immanuel Fuchs was a German mathematician who contributed important research in the field of linear differential equations...
, a childhood friend.