Jürgen Moser
Encyclopedia
Jürgen Kurt Moser or Juergen Kurt Moser (July 4, 1928, Königsberg
, East Prussia
– December 17, 1999, Schwerzenbach
, Kanton Zürich, Switzerland
) was a German
-American
mathematician
.
. After his thesis, he came under the influence of Carl Ludwig Siegel
, with whom he coauthored the second and considerably expanded English language edition of a monography on celestial mechanics
. Having spent the year 1953 at the Courant Institute of New York University
as a Fulbright scholar, he emigrated to the United States in 1955 becoming a citizen in 1959. He became a professor at MIT
and later at New York University
. He served as director of the Courant Institute of New York University
in the period of 1967–1970. In 1970 he declined the offer of a chair at the Institute for Advanced Study
in Princeton
. After 1980 he was at ETH Zürich
, becoming professor emeritus in 1995. He was director of the Forschungsinstitut für Mathematik at ETH Zürich
in 1984 - 1995, where he succeeded Beno Eckmann
and lead a rebuilding of the ETH Zürich
mathematics faculty. Moser was president of the International Mathematical Union
in 1983 - 1986.
, Ed Belbruno
, Charles Conley
(1933–1984), Howard Jacobowitz of Rutgers University
, and Paul Rabinowitz
.
in 1968 for contributions to the theory of Hamiltonian dynamical systems
, the James Craig Watson Medal
in 1969 for his contributions to dynamical astronomy
, the L. E. J. Brouwer
Medal of the Royal Dutch Mathematical Society in 1984, the Cantor Medal of the Deutsche Mathematiker-Vereinigung in 1992 and the Wolf Prize
in 1995 for his work on stability in Hamiltonian systems and on nonlinear differential equations. He was elected to membership of the National Academy of Sciences
in 1973 and was corresponding member of numerous foreign academies such as the London Mathematical Society
and the Akademie der Wissenschaften und Literatur, Mainz
. At three occasions he was an invited speaker at the quadrennial International Congress of Mathematicians
, namely in Stockholm
(1962) in the section on Applied Mathematics
, in Helsinki
(1978) in the section on Complex Analysis
, and a plenary speaker in Berlin
(1998). In 1990 he was awarded an honorary doctorate from the University of Bochum. The Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics
established a lecture prize in his honor in 2000.
. His father was the neurologist Kurt E. Moser (July 21, 1895 – June 25, 1982), who was born to the merchant Max Maync (1870–1911) and Clara Moser (1860–1934). The latter descended from 17th century French Hugenot immigrants to Prussia
. Jürgen Moser's parents lived in Königsberg
, German empire
and resettled in Stralsund
, East Germany as a result of the second world war. Moser attended the Wilhelms-Gymnasium
in his hometown, a high school specializing in mathematics and natural sciences education, from which David Hilbert
had graduated in 1880. His older brother Friedrich (Friedel) Moser (August 31, 1925 - January 14, 1945) served in the German army
and died in Dodrowolsk, Russia
. He married the biologist Dr. Gertrude C. Courant (Richard Courant
's daughter, Carl Runge's granddaughter and grandniece of Emil DuBois-Reymond) on September 10, 1955 and took up permanent residence in New Rochelle, New York
in 1960, commuting to work in New York City
. In 1980 he moved to Switzerland
, where he lived in Schwerzenbach
near Zürich
. He was a member of the Akademisches Orchester Zürich. He was survived by his younger brother, the photographic printer and processor Klaus T. Moser-Maync from New York, his wife, Gertrude Moser from Seattle, their daughters, the theater lighting designer Nina S. Moser from Seattle and the mathematician Lucy I. Moser-Jauslin from Dijon
, and his stepson, the lawyer Richard D. Emery from New York City
. Moser played the piano
and the cello
, performing chamber music
since his childhood in the tradition of a musical family, where his father played the violin
and his mother the piano
. He was a lifelong amateur astronomer and took up paragliding
in 1988 during a visit at IMPA in Rio de Janeiro
.
Königsberg
Königsberg was the capital of East Prussia from the Late Middle Ages until 1945 as well as the northernmost and easternmost German city with 286,666 inhabitants . Due to the multicultural society in and around the city, there are several local names for it...
, East Prussia
East Prussia
East Prussia is the main part of the region of Prussia along the southeastern Baltic Coast from the 13th century to the end of World War II in May 1945. From 1772–1829 and 1878–1945, the Province of East Prussia was part of the German state of Prussia. The capital city was Königsberg.East Prussia...
– December 17, 1999, Schwerzenbach
Schwerzenbach
Schwerzenbach is a municipality in the district of Uster in the canton of Zürich in Switzerland, and belongs to the Glatt Valley .-Geography:...
, Kanton Zürich, Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
) 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...
-American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
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....
.
Professional biography
He completed his undergraduate education at and received his Ph.D. from the University of Göttingen in 1952, studying under Franz RellichFranz Rellich
Franz Rellich was an Austrian-Italian mathematician.He made important contributions in mathematical physics, in particular for the foundations of quantum mechanics and for the theory ofpartial differential equations....
. After his thesis, he came under the influence of Carl Ludwig Siegel
Carl Ludwig Siegel
Carl Ludwig Siegel was a mathematician specialising in number theory and celestial mechanics. He was one of the most important mathematicians of the 20th century.-Biography:...
, with whom he coauthored the second and considerably expanded English language edition of a monography on celestial mechanics
Celestial mechanics
Celestial mechanics is the branch of astronomy that deals with the motions of celestial objects. The field applies principles of physics, historically classical mechanics, to astronomical objects such as stars and planets to produce ephemeris data. Orbital mechanics is a subfield which focuses on...
. Having spent the year 1953 at the Courant Institute of 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...
as a Fulbright scholar, he emigrated to the United States in 1955 becoming a citizen in 1959. He became a professor at MIT
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology is a private research university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts. MIT has five schools and one college, containing a total of 32 academic departments, with a strong emphasis on scientific and technological education and research.Founded in 1861 in...
and later at 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 served as director of the Courant Institute of 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...
in the period of 1967–1970. In 1970 he declined the offer of a chair at the Institute for Advanced Study
Institute for Advanced Study
The Institute for Advanced Study, located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States, is an independent postgraduate center for theoretical research and intellectual inquiry. It was founded in 1930 by Abraham Flexner...
in Princeton
Princeton University
Princeton University is a private research university located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. The school is one of the eight universities of the Ivy League, and is one of the nine Colonial Colleges founded before the American Revolution....
. After 1980 he was at ETH Zürich
ETH Zurich
The Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich or ETH Zürich is an engineering, science, technology, mathematics and management university in the City of Zurich, Switzerland....
, becoming professor emeritus in 1995. He was director of the Forschungsinstitut für Mathematik at ETH Zürich
ETH Zurich
The Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich or ETH Zürich is an engineering, science, technology, mathematics and management university in the City of Zurich, Switzerland....
in 1984 - 1995, where he succeeded Beno Eckmann
Beno Eckmann
Beno Eckmann was a Swiss mathematician who was a student of Heinz Hopf.Born in Bern, Eckmann received his master's degree from Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule Zürich in 1931. Later he studied there under Heinz Hopf, obtaining his Ph.D. in 1941...
and lead a rebuilding of the ETH Zürich
ETH Zurich
The Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich or ETH Zürich is an engineering, science, technology, mathematics and management university in the City of Zurich, Switzerland....
mathematics faculty. Moser was president of the International Mathematical Union
International Mathematical Union
The International Mathematical Union is an international non-governmental organisation devoted to international cooperation in the field of mathematics across the world. It is a member of the International Council for Science and supports the International Congress of Mathematicians...
in 1983 - 1986.
Students
Among his students were Mark Adler of Brandeis UniversityBrandeis University
Brandeis University is an American private research university with a liberal arts focus. It is located in the southwestern corner of Waltham, Massachusetts, nine miles west of Boston. The University has an enrollment of approximately 3,200 undergraduate and 2,100 graduate students. In 2011, it...
, Ed Belbruno
Edward Belbruno
Edward Belbruno is a mathematician whose interests are in celestial mechanics, dynamical systems, dynamical astronomy, and aerospace engineering....
, Charles Conley
Conley index theory
In dynamical systems theory, Conley index theory, named after Charles Conley, analyzes topological structure of invariant sets of diffeomorphisms and of smooth flows. It is a far-reaching generalization of the Hopf index theorem that predicts existence of fixed points of a flow inside a planar...
(1933–1984), Howard Jacobowitz of Rutgers University
Rutgers University
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey , is the largest institution for higher education in New Jersey, United States. It was originally chartered as Queen's College in 1766. It is the eighth-oldest college in the United States and one of the nine Colonial colleges founded before the American...
, and Paul Rabinowitz
Paul Rabinowitz
Paul H. Rabinowitz is the Edward Burr Van Vleck Professor of Mathematics and a Vilas Research Professor at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. He received a Ph.D. from New York University in 1966 under the direction of Juergen Moser. From 1966 to 1969 he held a postdoctoral appointment at ...
.
Awards and honours
He won the first George David Birkhoff PrizeGeorge David Birkhoff Prize
The George David Birkhoff Prize in applied mathematics is awarded – jointly by the American Mathematical Society and the Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics – in honour of George David Birkhoff . It is currently awarded every three years for an outstanding contribution to: "applied...
in 1968 for contributions to the theory of Hamiltonian dynamical systems
Hamiltonian system
In physics and classical mechanics, a Hamiltonian system is a physical system in which forces are momentum invariant. Hamiltonian systems are studied in Hamiltonian mechanics....
, the James Craig Watson Medal
James Craig Watson Medal
thumb|right|400px|James Craig Watson MedalThe James Craig Watson Medal was established by the bequest of James Craig Watson, and is awarded by the U.S. National Academy of Sciences for contributions to astronomy.The recipients have been:-External links:*...
in 1969 for his contributions to dynamical astronomy
Astronomy
Astronomy is a natural science that deals with the study of celestial objects and phenomena that originate outside the atmosphere of Earth...
, the L. E. J. Brouwer
Medal of the Royal Dutch Mathematical Society in 1984, the Cantor Medal of the Deutsche Mathematiker-Vereinigung in 1992 and the Wolf Prize
Wolf Prize in Mathematics
The Wolf Prize in Mathematics is awarded almost annually by the Wolf Foundation in Israel. It is one of the six Wolf Prizes established by the Foundation and awarded since 1978; the others are in Agriculture, Chemistry, Medicine, Physics and Arts...
in 1995 for his work on stability in Hamiltonian systems and on nonlinear differential equations. He was elected to membership of the National Academy of Sciences
United States National Academy of Sciences
The National Academy of Sciences is a corporation in the United States whose members serve pro bono as "advisers to the nation on science, engineering, and medicine." As a national academy, new members of the organization are elected annually by current members, based on their distinguished and...
in 1973 and was corresponding member of numerous foreign academies such as the London Mathematical Society
London Mathematical Society
-See also:* American Mathematical Society* Edinburgh Mathematical Society* European Mathematical Society* List of Mathematical Societies* Council for the Mathematical Sciences* BCS-FACS Specialist Group-External links:* * *...
and the Akademie der Wissenschaften und Literatur, Mainz
Mainz
Mainz under the Holy Roman Empire, and previously was a Roman fort city which commanded the west bank of the Rhine and formed part of the northernmost frontier of the Roman Empire...
. At three occasions he was an invited speaker at the quadrennial 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 ....
, namely in Stockholm
Stockholm
Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
(1962) in the section on Applied Mathematics
Applied mathematics
Applied mathematics is a branch of mathematics that concerns itself with mathematical methods that are typically used in science, engineering, business, and industry. Thus, "applied mathematics" is a mathematical science with specialized knowledge...
, in Helsinki
Helsinki
Helsinki is the capital and largest city in Finland. It is in the region of Uusimaa, located in southern Finland, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, an arm of the Baltic Sea. The population of the city of Helsinki is , making it by far the most populous municipality in Finland. Helsinki is...
(1978) in the section on Complex Analysis
Complex analysis
Complex analysis, traditionally known as the theory of functions of a complex variable, is the branch of mathematical analysis that investigates functions of complex numbers. It is useful in many branches of mathematics, including number theory and applied mathematics; as well as in physics,...
, and a plenary speaker in Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
(1998). In 1990 he was awarded an honorary doctorate from the University of Bochum. The Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics
Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics
The Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics was founded by a small group of mathematicians from academia and industry who met in Philadelphia in 1951 to start an organization whose members would meet periodically to exchange ideas about the uses of mathematics in industry. This meeting led...
established a lecture prize in his honor in 2000.
Personal biography
His mother Ilse Strehlke was a niece of the violinist and composer Louis SpohrLouis Spohr
Louis Spohr was a German composer, violinist and conductor. Born Ludewig Spohr, he is usually known by the French form of his name. Described by Dorothy Mayer as "The Forgotten Master", Spohr was once as famous as Beethoven. As a violinist, his virtuoso playing was admired by Queen Victoria...
. His father was the neurologist Kurt E. Moser (July 21, 1895 – June 25, 1982), who was born to the merchant Max Maync (1870–1911) and Clara Moser (1860–1934). The latter descended from 17th century French Hugenot immigrants to Prussia
Prussia
Prussia was a German kingdom and historic state originating out of the Duchy of Prussia and the Margraviate of Brandenburg. For centuries, the House of Hohenzollern ruled Prussia, successfully expanding its size by way of an unusually well-organized and effective army. Prussia shaped the history...
. Jürgen Moser's parents lived in Königsberg
Königsberg
Königsberg was the capital of East Prussia from the Late Middle Ages until 1945 as well as the northernmost and easternmost German city with 286,666 inhabitants . Due to the multicultural society in and around the city, there are several local names for it...
, German empire
German Empire
The German Empire refers to Germany during the "Second Reich" period from the unification of Germany and proclamation of Wilhelm I as German Emperor on 18 January 1871, to 1918, when it became a federal republic after defeat in World War I and the abdication of the Emperor, Wilhelm II.The German...
and resettled in Stralsund
Stralsund
- Main sights :* The Brick Gothic historic centre is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.* The heart of the old town is the Old Market Square , with the Gothic Town Hall . Behind the town hall stands the imposing Nikolaikirche , built in 1270-1360...
, East Germany as a result of the second world war. Moser attended the Wilhelms-Gymnasium
Gymnasium (school)
A gymnasium is a type of school providing secondary education in some parts of Europe, comparable to English grammar schools or sixth form colleges and U.S. college preparatory high schools. The word γυμνάσιον was used in Ancient Greece, meaning a locality for both physical and intellectual...
in his hometown, a high school specializing in mathematics and natural sciences education, from which David Hilbert
David Hilbert
David Hilbert was a German mathematician. He is recognized as one of the most influential and universal mathematicians of the 19th and early 20th centuries. Hilbert discovered and developed a broad range of fundamental ideas in many areas, including invariant theory and the axiomatization of...
had graduated in 1880. His older brother Friedrich (Friedel) Moser (August 31, 1925 - January 14, 1945) served in the German army
German Army
The German Army is the land component of the armed forces of the Federal Republic of Germany. Following the disbanding of the Wehrmacht after World War II, it was re-established in 1955 as the Bundesheer, part of the newly formed West German Bundeswehr along with the Navy and the Air Force...
and died in Dodrowolsk, Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
. He married the biologist Dr. Gertrude C. Courant (Richard Courant
Richard Courant
Richard Courant was a German American mathematician.- Life :Courant was born in Lublinitz in the German Empire's Prussian Province of Silesia. During his youth, his parents had to move quite often, to Glatz, Breslau, and in 1905 to Berlin. He stayed in Breslau and entered the university there...
's daughter, Carl Runge's granddaughter and grandniece of Emil DuBois-Reymond) on September 10, 1955 and took up permanent residence in New Rochelle, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
in 1960, commuting to work in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. In 1980 he moved to Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
, where he lived in Schwerzenbach
Schwerzenbach
Schwerzenbach is a municipality in the district of Uster in the canton of Zürich in Switzerland, and belongs to the Glatt Valley .-Geography:...
near Zürich
Zürich
Zurich is the largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zurich. It is located in central Switzerland at the northwestern tip of Lake Zurich...
. He was a member of the Akademisches Orchester Zürich. He was survived by his younger brother, the photographic printer and processor Klaus T. Moser-Maync from New York, his wife, Gertrude Moser from Seattle, their daughters, the theater lighting designer Nina S. Moser from Seattle and the mathematician Lucy I. Moser-Jauslin from Dijon
Dijon
Dijon is a city in eastern France, the capital of the Côte-d'Or département and of the Burgundy region.Dijon is the historical capital of the region of Burgundy. Population : 151,576 within the city limits; 250,516 for the greater Dijon area....
, and his stepson, the lawyer Richard D. Emery from New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. Moser played the piano
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
and the cello
Cello
The cello is a bowed string instrument with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is a member of the violin family of musical instruments, which also includes the violin, viola, and double bass. Old forms of the instrument in the Baroque era are baryton and viol .A person who plays a cello is...
, performing chamber music
Chamber music
Chamber music is a form of classical music, written for a small group of instruments which traditionally could be accommodated in a palace chamber. Most broadly, it includes any art music that is performed by a small number of performers with one performer to a part...
since his childhood in the tradition of a musical family, where his father played the violin
Violin
The violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
and his mother the piano
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
. He was a lifelong amateur astronomer and took up paragliding
Paragliding
Paragliding is the recreational and competitive adventure sport of flying paragliders: lightweight, free-flying, foot-launched glider aircraft with no rigid primary structure...
in 1988 during a visit at IMPA in Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro , commonly referred to simply as Rio, is the capital city of the State of Rio de Janeiro, the second largest city of Brazil, and the third largest metropolitan area and agglomeration in South America, boasting approximately 6.3 million people within the city proper, making it the 6th...
.