Walther Mayer
Encyclopedia
Walter Mayer was an Austria
n mathematician, born 1887 in Graz
, Austria
.
Mayer, who was Jewish, studied at the Federal Institute of Technology
in Zürich
and the University of Paris
before receiving his doctorate in 1912 from the University of Vienna
. After serving in the First World War, he lectured at the University of Vienna
as Privatdozent (lecturer) with the title "Professor." He made a name for himself in topology
(the Mayer–Vietoris sequence), and also worked in differential geometry, publishing the well-known textbook "Duschek-Mayer on Differential Geometry". In 1929, he became Albert Einstein
's assistant with the explicit understanding that he work with him on distant parallelism
.
From 1931 to 1936, he collaborated with Albert Einstein
on the theory of relativity
. In 1933, after Hitler's
assumption of power, he followed Einstein to the United States
and became an associate in mathematics at the Institute for Advanced Study
in Princeton
, New Jersey
. He died in 1948.
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
n mathematician, born 1887 in Graz
Graz
The more recent population figures do not give the whole picture as only people with principal residence status are counted and people with secondary residence status are not. Most of the people with secondary residence status in Graz are students...
, Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
.
Mayer, who was Jewish, studied at the Federal Institute of Technology
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 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...
and the University of Paris
University of Paris
The University of Paris was a university located in Paris, France and one of the earliest to be established in Europe. It was founded in the mid 12th century, and officially recognized as a university probably between 1160 and 1250...
before receiving his doctorate in 1912 from the University of Vienna
University of Vienna
The University of Vienna is a public university located in Vienna, Austria. It was founded by Duke Rudolph IV in 1365 and is the oldest university in the German-speaking world...
. After serving in the First World War, he lectured at the University of Vienna
University of Vienna
The University of Vienna is a public university located in Vienna, Austria. It was founded by Duke Rudolph IV in 1365 and is the oldest university in the German-speaking world...
as Privatdozent (lecturer) with the title "Professor." He made a name for himself in topology
Topology
Topology is a major area of mathematics concerned with properties that are preserved under continuous deformations of objects, such as deformations that involve stretching, but no tearing or gluing...
(the Mayer–Vietoris sequence), and also worked in differential geometry, publishing the well-known textbook "Duschek-Mayer on Differential Geometry". In 1929, he became 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...
's assistant with the explicit understanding that he work with him on distant parallelism
Teleparallelism
Teleparallelism , was an attempt by Einstein to unify electromagnetism and gravity...
.
From 1931 to 1936, he collaborated 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...
on the theory of relativity
Theory of relativity
The theory of relativity, or simply relativity, encompasses two theories of Albert Einstein: special relativity and general relativity. However, the word relativity is sometimes used in reference to Galilean invariance....
. In 1933, after Hitler's
Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler was an Austrian-born German politician and the leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party , commonly referred to as the Nazi Party). He was Chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945, and head of state from 1934 to 1945...
assumption of power, he followed Einstein to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and became an associate in mathematics 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, New Jersey
Princeton is a community located in Mercer County, New Jersey, United States. It is best known as the location of Princeton University, which has been sited in the community since 1756...
, New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
. He died in 1948.