Wilhelm Magnus
Encyclopedia
Wilhelm Magnus was a mathematician
. He made important contributions in combinatorial group theory
, Lie algebra
s, mathematical physics
, elliptic functions, and the study of tessellation
s.
In 1931, he received his PhD from the University of Frankfurt, in Germany
. His thesis, written under the direction of Max Dehn
, was entitled Über unendlich diskontinuierliche Gruppen von einer definierenden Relation (der Freiheitssatz)
.
Magnus was a faculty member in Frankfurt from 1933 until 1938. He refused to join the Nazi Party and, as a consequence, was not allowed to hold an academic post during World War II
. In 1947 he became a professor at the University of Göttingen. In 1948 he emigrated to the United States
to collaborate on the Bateman Manuscript Project
. In 1950 he was appointed professor at the Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences
, in New York University
. He stayed there until 1973, when he moved to the Polytechnic Institute of New York
, before retiring in 1978.
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....
. He made important contributions in combinatorial group theory
Combinatorial group theory
In mathematics, combinatorial group theory is the theory of free groups, and the concept of a presentation of a group by generators and relations...
, Lie algebra
Lie algebra
In mathematics, a Lie algebra is an algebraic structure whose main use is in studying geometric objects such as Lie groups and differentiable manifolds. Lie algebras were introduced to study the concept of infinitesimal transformations. The term "Lie algebra" was introduced by Hermann Weyl in the...
s, mathematical physics
Mathematical physics
Mathematical physics refers to development of mathematical methods for application to problems in physics. The Journal of Mathematical Physics defines this area as: "the application of mathematics to problems in physics and the development of mathematical methods suitable for such applications and...
, elliptic functions, and the study of tessellation
Tessellation
A tessellation or tiling of the plane is a pattern of plane figures that fills the plane with no overlaps and no gaps. One may also speak of tessellations of parts of the plane or of other surfaces. Generalizations to higher dimensions are also possible. Tessellations frequently appeared in the art...
s.
In 1931, he received his PhD from the University of Frankfurt, in Germany
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...
. His thesis, written under the direction of Max Dehn
Max Dehn
Max Dehn was a German American mathematician and a student of David Hilbert. He is most famous for his work in geometry, topology and geometric group theory...
, was entitled Über unendlich diskontinuierliche Gruppen von einer definierenden Relation (der Freiheitssatz)
Freiheitssatz
In mathematics, the Freiheitssatz is a result in the presentation theory of groups...
.
Magnus was a faculty member in Frankfurt from 1933 until 1938. He refused to join the Nazi Party and, as a consequence, was not allowed to hold an academic post during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. In 1947 he became a professor at the University of Göttingen. In 1948 he emigrated to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
to collaborate on the Bateman Manuscript Project
Bateman Manuscript Project
The Bateman Manuscript Project was a major effort at collation and encyclopedic compilation of the mathematical theory of special functions. It resulted in the eventual publication of five important reference volumes, under the editorship of Arthur Erdélyi....
. In 1950 he was appointed professor at the Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences
Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences
The Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences is an independent division of New York University under the Faculty of Arts & Science that serves as a center for research and advanced training in computer science and mathematics...
, in New York University
New York University
New York University is a private, nonsectarian research university based in New York City. NYU's main campus is situated in the Greenwich Village section of Manhattan...
. He stayed there until 1973, when he moved to the Polytechnic Institute of New York
Polytechnic University of New York
The Polytechnic Institute of New York University, often referred to as Polytechnic Institute of NYU, NYU Polytechnic, or NYU-Poly, is the engineering and applied sciences affiliate of New York University...
, before retiring in 1978.