Victor Klee
Encyclopedia
Victor L. Klee, Jr. was a mathematician
specialising in convex set
s, functional analysis
, analysis of algorithms
, optimization
, and combinatorics
. He spent almost his entire career at the University of Washington
in Seattle.
Born in San Francisco
, Vic Klee earned his B.A.
degree in 1945 with high honors from Pomona College
, majoring in mathematics and chemistry. He did his graduate studies, including a thesis on Convex Sets in Linear Spaces, and received his PhD
in mathematics from the University of Virginia
in 1949. After teaching several years at the University of Virginia, he moved in 1953 to the University of Washington
in Seattle, Washington
, where he was a faculty member for 54 years. Klee wrote more than 240 research papers. He proposed Klee's measure problem
and the Art gallery theorem, and Kleetope
s are also named after him. Klee served as president of the Mathematical Association of America
from 1971 to 1973.
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....
specialising in convex set
Convex set
In Euclidean space, an object is convex if for every pair of points within the object, every point on the straight line segment that joins them is also within the object...
s, functional analysis
Functional analysis
Functional analysis is a branch of mathematical analysis, the core of which is formed by the study of vector spaces endowed with some kind of limit-related structure and the linear operators acting upon these spaces and respecting these structures in a suitable sense...
, analysis of algorithms
Analysis of algorithms
To analyze an algorithm is to determine the amount of resources necessary to execute it. Most algorithms are designed to work with inputs of arbitrary length...
, optimization
Optimization (mathematics)
In mathematics, computational science, or management science, mathematical optimization refers to the selection of a best element from some set of available alternatives....
, and combinatorics
Combinatorics
Combinatorics is a branch of mathematics concerning the study of finite or countable discrete structures. Aspects of combinatorics include counting the structures of a given kind and size , deciding when certain criteria can be met, and constructing and analyzing objects meeting the criteria ,...
. He spent almost his entire career at the University of Washington
University of Washington
University of Washington is a public research university, founded in 1861 in Seattle, Washington, United States. The UW is the largest university in the Northwest and the oldest public university on the West Coast. The university has three campuses, with its largest campus in the University...
in Seattle.
Born in San Francisco
San Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
, Vic Klee earned his B.A.
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
degree in 1945 with high honors from Pomona College
Pomona College
Pomona College is a private, residential, liberal arts college in Claremont, California. Founded in 1887 in Pomona, California by a group of Congregationalists, the college moved to Claremont in 1889 to the site of a hotel, retaining its name. The school enrolls 1,548 students.The founding member...
, majoring in mathematics and chemistry. He did his graduate studies, including a thesis on Convex Sets in Linear Spaces, and received his PhD
PHD
PHD may refer to:*Ph.D., a doctorate of philosophy*Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*PHD finger, a protein sequence*PHD Mountain Software, an outdoor clothing and equipment company*PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
in mathematics from the University of Virginia
University of Virginia
The University of Virginia is a public research university located in Charlottesville, Virginia, United States, founded by Thomas Jefferson...
in 1949. After teaching several years at the University of Virginia, he moved in 1953 to the University of Washington
University of Washington
University of Washington is a public research university, founded in 1861 in Seattle, Washington, United States. The UW is the largest university in the Northwest and the oldest public university on the West Coast. The university has three campuses, with its largest campus in the University...
in Seattle, Washington
Seattle, Washington
Seattle is the county seat of King County, Washington. With 608,660 residents as of the 2010 Census, Seattle is the largest city in the Northwestern United States. The Seattle metropolitan area of about 3.4 million inhabitants is the 15th largest metropolitan area in the country...
, where he was a faculty member for 54 years. Klee wrote more than 240 research papers. He proposed Klee's measure problem
Klee's measure problem
In computational geometry, Klee's measure problem is the problem of determining how efficiently the measure of a union of rectangular ranges can be computed...
and the Art gallery theorem, and Kleetope
Kleetope
In geometry and polyhedral combinatorics, the Kleetope of a polyhedron or higher-dimensional convex polytope is another polyhedron or polytope formed by replacing each facet of with a shallow pyramid...
s are also named after him. Klee served as president of the Mathematical Association of America
Mathematical Association of America
The Mathematical Association of America is a professional society that focuses on mathematics accessible at the undergraduate level. Members include university, college, and high school teachers; graduate and undergraduate students; pure and applied mathematicians; computer scientists;...
from 1971 to 1973.
External links
- Applied Geometry and Discrete Mathematics a volume dedicated to Klee on his 65th birthday.
- Brief obituary at the Mathematical Association of America (MAA)
- AMS column: People Making a Difference