Christian Gustav Adolph Mayer
Encyclopedia
Christian Gustav Adolph Mayer (February 15, 1839 – April 11, 1907) was a German
mathematician
.
Mayer was born on February 15, 1839 in Leipzig, Germany. His father was a businessman from Leipzig. He studied at the University of Leipzig
, University of Göttingen, University of Heidelberg and University of Königsberg
. He completed his doctorate from the University of Heidelberg in 1861.
When Mayer was studying at Heidelberg, he submitted his habilitation
thesis to the University of Heidelberg. He gained the permission to teach at universities in 1866. He taught mathematics at the University of Heidelberg for the rest of his life. He did research on differential equations, the calculus of variations
and mechanics
. His research on the integration of partial differential equation
s and a search to determine maxima and minima using variational methods brought him close to the investigations which Sophus Lie
was carrying out around the same time.
Several letters were exchanged between Mayer and mathematician Felix Klein
from 1871 to 1907. Those letters provide insights into the scientific and personal relations among Felix Klein, Mayer and Sophus Lie over the period.
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
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....
.
Mayer was born on February 15, 1839 in Leipzig, Germany. His father was a businessman from Leipzig. He studied at the University of Leipzig
University of Leipzig
The University of Leipzig , located in Leipzig in the Free State of Saxony, Germany, is one of the oldest universities in the world and the second-oldest university in Germany...
, University of Göttingen, University of Heidelberg and 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 completed his doctorate from the University of Heidelberg in 1861.
When Mayer was studying at Heidelberg, he submitted his habilitation
Habilitation
Habilitation is the highest academic qualification a scholar can achieve by his or her own pursuit in several European and Asian countries. Earned after obtaining a research doctorate, such as a PhD, habilitation requires the candidate to write a professorial thesis based on independent...
thesis to the University of Heidelberg. He gained the permission to teach at universities in 1866. He taught mathematics at the University of Heidelberg for the rest of his life. He did research on differential equations, the calculus of variations
Calculus of variations
Calculus of variations is a field of mathematics that deals with extremizing functionals, as opposed to ordinary calculus which deals with functions. A functional is usually a mapping from a set of functions to the real numbers. Functionals are often formed as definite integrals involving unknown...
and mechanics
Mechanics
Mechanics is the branch of physics concerned with the behavior of physical bodies when subjected to forces or displacements, and the subsequent effects of the bodies on their environment....
. His research on the integration of partial differential equation
Partial differential equation
In mathematics, partial differential equations are a type of differential equation, i.e., a relation involving an unknown function of several independent variables and their partial derivatives with respect to those variables...
s and a search to determine maxima and minima using variational methods brought him close to the investigations which Sophus Lie
Sophus Lie
Marius Sophus Lie was a Norwegian mathematician. He largely created the theory of continuous symmetry, and applied it to the study of geometry and differential equations.- Biography :...
was carrying out around the same time.
Several letters were exchanged between Mayer and mathematician Felix Klein
Felix Klein
Christian Felix Klein was a German mathematician, known for his work in group theory, function theory, non-Euclidean geometry, and on the connections between geometry and group theory...
from 1871 to 1907. Those letters provide insights into the scientific and personal relations among Felix Klein, Mayer and Sophus Lie over the period.