Herman Müntz
Encyclopedia
Herman Müntz (28 August 1884, Łódź - 17 April 1956, Sweden
) was a German
mathematician
, now remembered for the Müntz approximation theorem.
He was born in Łódź (then in the Piotrków Governorate
of the Russian Empire
, now in Poland
) in a secular Jewish family, who had adopted a German spelling of the surname Minc. He was educated there and at the Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität
in Berlin, graduating in 1906. He wrote a doctoral dissertation there on partial differential equation
s and the Plateau problem, in 1910, supervised by H. A. Schwarz.
In 1911 he moved to Munich
. In the following years he published on projective geometry
, iterative method
s, and approximation theory
.
In 1914 he took a teaching position in a school near Heppenheim
, and a year later another in Hochwaldhausen. He became a German citizen in 1919. At around that time he suffered a breakdown, and moved back to Poland with his wife. He shortly began publishing mathematics again. The couple moved to Göttingen
in 1921, and Müntz became involved in editorial, reviewing and translation work, as well as research. At this period, and from 1924 in Berlin, he was unsuccessfully trying to get an academic position, hampered because he had not habilitated. In 1927 he worked closely with Albert Einstein
.
In 1929 he took a professorial position at the Leningrad State University, where he was active in teaching, research, administration and as an editor of Lyapunov
. In 1932 he was an official Soviet delegate to the International Congress of Mathematicians
, with N. G. Chebotarev, P. S. Alexandrov, and E. Y. Kolman, an ideological Marxist. In 1937 Müntz, who remained a German citizen, was expelled from the USSR. He went to Sweden, where he supported himself by teaching. He obtained Swedish citizenship in 1953.
He wrote extensively on Judaism
and related topics. In 1907 a book Wir Juden was published in Berlin. He was a correspondent of Martin Buber
, and wrote much for Buber's journal Der Jude.
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
) was a German
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....
, now remembered for the Müntz approximation theorem.
He was born in Łódź (then in the Piotrków Governorate
Piotrków Governorate
Piotrków Governorate was an administrative unit of the Congress Poland. Its capital was in Petrokov.-History:It was created in 1867, split off from parts of Radom and Warsaw Governorates.-Language:*By the Imperial census of 1897...
of the Russian Empire
Russian Empire
The Russian Empire was a state that existed from 1721 until the Russian Revolution of 1917. It was the successor to the Tsardom of Russia and the predecessor of the Soviet Union...
, now in 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...
) in a secular Jewish family, who had adopted a German spelling of the surname Minc. He was educated there and at the Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität
Humboldt University of Berlin
The Humboldt University of Berlin is Berlin's oldest university, founded in 1810 as the University of Berlin by the liberal Prussian educational reformer and linguist Wilhelm von Humboldt, whose university model has strongly influenced other European and Western universities...
in Berlin, graduating in 1906. He wrote a doctoral dissertation there on 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 the Plateau problem, in 1910, supervised by H. A. Schwarz.
In 1911 he moved to Munich
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
. In the following years he published on projective geometry
Projective geometry
In mathematics, projective geometry is the study of geometric properties that are invariant under projective transformations. This means that, compared to elementary geometry, projective geometry has a different setting, projective space, and a selective set of basic geometric concepts...
, iterative method
Iterative method
In computational mathematics, an iterative method is a mathematical procedure that generates a sequence of improving approximate solutions for a class of problems. A specific implementation of an iterative method, including the termination criteria, is an algorithm of the iterative method...
s, and approximation theory
Approximation theory
In mathematics, approximation theory is concerned with how functions can best be approximated with simpler functions, and with quantitatively characterizing the errors introduced thereby...
.
In 1914 he took a teaching position in a school near Heppenheim
Heppenheim
Heppenheim is the seat of Bergstraße district in Hesse, Germany, lying on the Bergstraße on the edge of the Odenwald.- Location :...
, and a year later another in Hochwaldhausen. He became a German citizen in 1919. At around that time he suffered a breakdown, and moved back to Poland with his wife. He shortly began publishing mathematics again. The couple moved to Göttingen
Göttingen
Göttingen is a university town in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is the capital of the district of Göttingen. The Leine river runs through the town. In 2006 the population was 129,686.-General information:...
in 1921, and Müntz became involved in editorial, reviewing and translation work, as well as research. At this period, and from 1924 in Berlin, he was unsuccessfully trying to get an academic position, hampered because he had not habilitated. In 1927 he worked closely with Albert Einstein
Albert Einstein
Albert Einstein was a German-born theoretical physicist who developed the theory of general relativity, effecting a revolution in physics. For this achievement, Einstein is often regarded as the father of modern physics and one of the most prolific intellects in human history...
.
In 1929 he took a professorial position at the Leningrad State University, where he was active in teaching, research, administration and as an editor of Lyapunov
Aleksandr Lyapunov
Aleksandr Mikhailovich Lyapunov was a Russian mathematician, mechanician and physicist. His surname is sometimes romanized as Ljapunov, Liapunov or Ljapunow....
. In 1932 he was an official Soviet delegate to the International Congress of Mathematicians
International Congress of Mathematicians
The International Congress of Mathematicians is the largest conference for the topic of mathematics. It meets once every four years, hosted by the International Mathematical Union ....
, with N. G. Chebotarev, P. S. Alexandrov, and E. Y. Kolman, an ideological Marxist. In 1937 Müntz, who remained a German citizen, was expelled from the USSR. He went to Sweden, where he supported himself by teaching. He obtained Swedish citizenship in 1953.
He wrote extensively on Judaism
Judaism
Judaism ) is the "religion, philosophy, and way of life" of the Jewish people...
and related topics. In 1907 a book Wir Juden was published in Berlin. He was a correspondent of Martin Buber
Martin Buber
Martin Buber was an Austrian-born Jewish philosopher best known for his philosophy of dialogue, a form of religious existentialism centered on the distinction between the I-Thou relationship and the I-It relationship....
, and wrote much for Buber's journal Der Jude.