Stanislaw Saks
Encyclopedia
Stanisław Saks was a Polish
mathematician
and university tutor, known primarily for his membership in the Scottish Café
circle, an extensive monograph on the Theory of Integral
s, his works on measure theory and the Vitali-Hahn-Saks theorem.
Stanisław Saks was born December 30, 1897 in Kalisz
, Congress Poland
, to an assimilated Polish-Jewish family. In 1915 he graduated from a local gymnasium and joined the newly-recreated Warsaw University. In 1922 he received a doctorate of his alma mater
with a prestigious award Cum Maxima Laude. Soon afterwards he also passed his habilitation
and received the Rockefeller scholarship, which allowed him to travel to the United States. Around that time he started publishing articles in various mathematical journals, mostly the Fundamenta Mathematicae
, but also in the American Transactions of the American Mathematical Society
. He participated in the Silesian Uprisings
and was awarded the Cross of the Valorous
and the Medal of Independence for his bravery. Following the end of the uprising he returned to Warsaw and resumed his academic career.
For most of it he studied the theories of functions
and functionals in particular. In 1930 he published his most notable book, the Zarys teorii całki (Sketch on the Theory of the Integral), which later got expanded and translated into several languages, including English (Theory of the Integral), French (Théorie de l'Intégrale) and Russian (Teoriya Integrala). Despite his successes, Saks was never awarded with the title of a professor
and remained an ordinary tutor, initially at his alma mater and the Warsaw University of Technology
, and later at the Lwów University and Wilno University. He was also an active socialist and a journalist at the Robotnik
weekly (1919-1926) and later a collaborator of the Association of Socialist Youth.
Saks wrote a mathematics book with Antoni Zygmund
, Analytic Functions, in 1933. It was translated into English in 1952 by E. J. Scott. In the preface to the English edition, Zygmund writes "Stanislaw Saks was a man of moral as well as physical courage, of rare intelligence and wit. To his colleagues and pupils he was an inspiration not only as a mathematician but as a human being. In the period between the two world wars he exerted great influence upon a whole generation of Polish mathematicians in Warsaw
and Lwów. In November 1942, at the age of 45, Saks died in a Warsaw
prison, victim of a policy of extermination."
After the outbreak of World War II
and the occupation of Poland by the Nazis, Saks joined the Polish underground
. Arrested in November 1942, he was executed November 23, 1942 by the German
Gestapo
in Warsaw
.
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...
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....
and university tutor, known primarily for his membership in the Scottish Café
Scottish Café
The Scottish Café was the café in Lwów where, in the 1930s and 1940s, mathematicians from the Lwów School collaboratively discussed research problems, particularly in functional analysis and topology....
circle, an extensive monograph on the Theory of Integral
Integral
Integration is an important concept in mathematics and, together with its inverse, differentiation, is one of the two main operations in calculus...
s, his works on measure theory and the Vitali-Hahn-Saks theorem.
Stanisław Saks was born December 30, 1897 in Kalisz
Kalisz
Kalisz is a city in central Poland with 106,857 inhabitants , the capital city of the Kalisz Region. Situated on the Prosna river in the southeastern part of the Greater Poland Voivodeship, the city forms a conurbation with the nearby towns of Ostrów Wielkopolski and Nowe Skalmierzyce...
, Congress Poland
Congress Poland
The Kingdom of Poland , informally known as Congress Poland , created in 1815 by the Congress of Vienna, was a personal union of the Russian parcel of Poland with the Russian Empire...
, to an assimilated Polish-Jewish family. In 1915 he graduated from a local gymnasium and joined the newly-recreated Warsaw University. In 1922 he received a doctorate of his alma mater
Alma mater
Alma mater , pronounced ), was used in ancient Rome as a title for various mother goddesses, especially Ceres or Cybele, and in Christianity for the Virgin Mary.-General term:...
with a prestigious award Cum Maxima Laude. Soon afterwards he also passed 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...
and received the Rockefeller scholarship, which allowed him to travel to the United States. Around that time he started publishing articles in various mathematical journals, mostly the Fundamenta Mathematicae
Fundamenta Mathematicae
Fundamenta Mathematicae is a scientific journal of mathematics with a special focus on the foundations of mathematics. At present, it concentrates on papers devoted to set theory, mathematical logic, topology and its interactions with algebra, and dynamical systems...
, but also in the American Transactions of the American Mathematical Society
Transactions of the American Mathematical Society
Transactions of the American Mathematical Society is a monthly mathematics journal published by the American Mathematical Society. It started in 1900...
. He participated in the Silesian Uprisings
Silesian Uprisings
The Silesian Uprisings were a series of three armed uprisings of the Poles and Polish Silesians of Upper Silesia, from 1919–1921, against German rule; the resistance hoped to break away from Germany in order to join the Second Polish Republic, which had been established in the wake of World War I...
and was awarded the Cross of the Valorous
Krzyz Walecznych
The Cross of Valor is a Polish military decoration. It was first introduced by the Council for Defense of the State on 11 August 1920. It is awarded to an individual who "has demonstrated deeds of valor and courage on the field of battle." It may be awarded to the same person up to four times...
and the Medal of Independence for his bravery. Following the end of the uprising he returned to Warsaw and resumed his academic career.
For most of it he studied the theories of functions
Function (mathematics)
In mathematics, a function associates one quantity, the argument of the function, also known as the input, with another quantity, the value of the function, also known as the output. A function assigns exactly one output to each input. The argument and the value may be real numbers, but they can...
and functionals in particular. In 1930 he published his most notable book, the Zarys teorii całki (Sketch on the Theory of the Integral), which later got expanded and translated into several languages, including English (Theory of the Integral), French (Théorie de l'Intégrale) and Russian (Teoriya Integrala). Despite his successes, Saks was never awarded with the title of a professor
Professor
A professor is a scholarly teacher; the precise meaning of the term varies by country. Literally, professor derives from Latin as a "person who professes" being usually an expert in arts or sciences; a teacher of high rank...
and remained an ordinary tutor, initially at his alma mater and the Warsaw University of Technology
Warsaw University of Technology
The Warsaw University of Technology is one of the leading institutes of technology in Poland, and one of the largest in Central Europe. It employs 2,453 teaching faculty, with 357 professors . The student body numbers 36,156 , mostly full-time. There are 17 faculties covering almost all fields of...
, and later at the Lwów University and Wilno University. He was also an active socialist and a journalist at the Robotnik
Robotnik
Robotnik can refer to:* a newspaper of the Polish Socialist Party, published in various places and times, with breaks, from 1894 to 2003. Most known versions include:** Robotnik , a newspaper of Piłsudski's Polish Socialist Party...
weekly (1919-1926) and later a collaborator of the Association of Socialist Youth.
Saks wrote a mathematics book with Antoni Zygmund
Antoni Zygmund
Antoni Zygmund was a Polish-born American mathematician.-Life:Born in Warsaw, Zygmund obtained his PhD from Warsaw University and became a professor at Stefan Batory University at Wilno...
, Analytic Functions, in 1933. It was translated into English in 1952 by E. J. Scott. In the preface to the English edition, Zygmund writes "Stanislaw Saks was a man of moral as well as physical courage, of rare intelligence and wit. To his colleagues and pupils he was an inspiration not only as a mathematician but as a human being. In the period between the two world wars he exerted great influence upon a whole generation of Polish mathematicians in Warsaw
Warsaw
Warsaw is the capital and largest city of Poland. It is located on the Vistula River, roughly from the Baltic Sea and from the Carpathian Mountains. Its population in 2010 was estimated at 1,716,855 residents with a greater metropolitan area of 2,631,902 residents, making Warsaw the 10th most...
and Lwów. In November 1942, at the age of 45, Saks died in a Warsaw
Warsaw
Warsaw is the capital and largest city of Poland. It is located on the Vistula River, roughly from the Baltic Sea and from the Carpathian Mountains. Its population in 2010 was estimated at 1,716,855 residents with a greater metropolitan area of 2,631,902 residents, making Warsaw the 10th most...
prison, victim of a policy of extermination."
After the outbreak of 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...
and the occupation of Poland by the Nazis, Saks joined the Polish underground
Polish Secret State
The Polish Underground State is a collective term for the World War II underground resistance organizations in Poland, both military and civilian, that remained loyal to the Polish Government in Exile in London. The first elements of the Underground State were put in place in the final days of the...
. Arrested in November 1942, he was executed November 23, 1942 by the 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...
Gestapo
Gestapo
The Gestapo was the official secret police of Nazi Germany. Beginning on 20 April 1934, it was under the administration of the SS leader Heinrich Himmler in his position as Chief of German Police...
in Warsaw
Warsaw
Warsaw is the capital and largest city of Poland. It is located on the Vistula River, roughly from the Baltic Sea and from the Carpathian Mountains. Its population in 2010 was estimated at 1,716,855 residents with a greater metropolitan area of 2,631,902 residents, making Warsaw the 10th most...
.