René Goormaghtigh
Encyclopedia
René Goormaghtigh was a Belgian engineer, after whom the Goormaghtigh Conjecture
Goormaghtigh conjecture
In mathematics, the Goormaghtigh conjecture is a conjecture in number theory named for the Belgian mathematician René Goormaghtigh. The conjecture is that the only non-trivial integer solutions of the exponential Diophantine equation...

 is named.

Gormaghtigh studied at Ghent University
Ghent University
Ghent University is a Dutch-speaking public university located in Ghent, Belgium. It is one of the larger Flemish universities, consisting of 32,000 students and 7,100 staff members. The current rector is Paul Van Cauwenberge.It was established in 1817 by King William I of the Netherlands...

, gaining a Diploma in Civil Engineering from the Central Board of Le Havre
Le Havre
Le Havre is a city in the Seine-Maritime department of the Haute-Normandie region in France. It is situated in north-western France, on the right bank of the mouth of the river Seine on the English Channel. Le Havre is the most populous commune in the Haute-Normandie region, although the total...

 in 1918. Throughout his subsequent life he worked as an engineer and industrial administrator. In 1952 he was appointed advisor to the Société Générale de Belgique
Société Générale de Belgique
The Société Générale de Belgique was one of the largest companies that ever existed in Belgium. It was founded in 1822 by William I, and existed until 2003, when its then sole shareholder, Suez Lyonnaise des Eaux, merged it with Tractebel to form Suez-Tractebel.-History:As part of the terms of the...

. He was made a Knight of the Order of Leopold II
Order of Leopold II
The Order of Leopold II is an order of Belgium and is named in honor of King Léopold II. The decoration was established on 24 August 1900 by Leopold II as king of the Congo Free State and was in 1908, upon Congo being handed over to Belgium, incorporated into the Belgian awards system...

 in 1947, and an Officer of the Order of the Crown
Order of the Crown (Belgium)
The Order of the Crown is an Order of Belgium which was created on 15 October 1897 by King Leopold II in his capacity as ruler of the Congo Free State. The order was first intended to recognize heroic deeds and distinguished service achieved from service in the Congo Free State - many of which acts...

 in 1956. After a heart attack in 1958, he retired to Saint-André-des-Bruges.

He was a frequent contributor to mathematical journals, especially the Belgian journal Mathesis.

Further reading

  • Roland Deaux, 'Rene Goormaghtigh (1893–1960)', Mathesis 69, 257–273 (1961).
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