Information AboutWaclaw Sierpinski |
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Wacław Franciszek Sierpiński ( March 14 , 1882 — October 21 , 1969 ), a Polish Mathematician , was born and died in Warsaw . He was known for outstanding contributions to Set Theory (research on the Axiom Of Choice and the Continuum Hypothesis ), Number Theory , theory of Function s and Topology . He published over 700 papers and 50 books (two of which, ''Introduction to General Topology'' ( 1934 ) and ''General Topology'' ( 1952 ) have been translated into English by Canadian Mathematician Cecilia Krieger ). Three well-known Fractal s are named after him (the Sierpinski Triangle , the Sierpinski Carpet and the Sierpinski Curve ), as are Sierpinski Number s and the associated Sierpiński problem. EDUCATION Sierpiński enrolled in the Department of Mathematics and Physics at the University Of Warsaw in 1899 and graduated four years later. In 1903 , while still at the University of Warsaw, the Department of Mathematics and Physics offered a prize for the best essay from a student on Voronoy 's contribution to number theory. Sierpiński was awarded a gold medal for his essay, thus laying the foundation for his first major mathematical contribution. Unwilling for his work to be published in Russian , he withheld it until 1907 , when it was published in Samuel Dickstein 's mathematical magazine 'The Works of Mathematics and Physics'. After his 1904 graduation, Sierpiński worked for as a school teacher of mathematics and physics in Warsaw. However when the school closed because of a strike, Sierpiński decided to go to Kraków to pursue Doctorate . At the Jagiellonian University in Kraków he attended lectures by Stanisław Zaremba on Mathematics . He also studied Astronomy and Philosophy . He received his doctorate and was appointed to the University Of Lwów in 1908 . CONTRIBUTIONS TO MATHEMATICS In 1907 Sierpiński first became interested in Set Theory when he came across a theorem which stated that points in the plane could be specified with a single coordinate. He wrote to Banachiewicz (then at Göttingen ), asking him how such a result was possible. He received a one word reply ' Cantor '. Sierpinski began to study Set Theory and, in 1909 , he gave the first ever lecture course devoted entirely to the subject. Sierpiński maintained an incredible output of research papers and books. During the years 1908 to 1914 , when he taught at the University of Lwów , he published three books in addition to many research papers. These books were The Theory of Irrational Numbers ( 1910 ), Outline of Set Theory ( 1912 ), and The Theory of Numbers ( 1912 ). When World War I began in 1914 , Sierpiński and his family were in Russia . To avoid the persecution that was all too common for Polish foreigners, Sierpinski spent the rest of the war years in Moscow working with Luzin . Together they began the study of Analytic Set s. In 1916 , Sierpiński gave the first example of an Absolutely Normal Number . When World War I ended in 1918, Sierpiński returned to Lwów . However shortly after taking up his appointment again in Lwów he was offered a post at the University of Warsaw , which he accepted. In 1919 he was promoted to Professor at Warsaw , and he spent the rest of his life there. During the Polish-Soviet War ( 1919 - 1921 ), Sierpiński helped break Soviet Russia n Cipher s for the Polish General Staff 's Cryptological Agency . In 1920 Sierpiński, together with Zygmunt Janiszewski and his former student Stefan Mazurkiewicz , founded the important mathematics journal Fundamenta Mathematica . Sierpiński edited the journal, which specialized in papers on Set Theory . During this period, Sierpiński worked predominantly on Set Theory , but also on Point Set Topology and Function s of a Real Variable . In Set Theory he made contributions on the Axiom Of Choice and on the Continuum Hypothesis . He also worked on what is now known as the Sierpinski Curve . Sierpiński continued to collaborate with Luzin on investigations of analytic and projective sets. His work on Function s of a Real Variable includes results on Functional Series , Differentiability of functions and Baire's Classification . Sierpiński was also highly involved with the development of Mathematics in Poland . He was honored with election to the Polish Academy in 1921 and that same year was made Dean of the Faculty at the University Of Warsaw . In 1928 he became vice- Chairman of the Warsaw Scientific Society, and that same year was elected chairman of the Polish Mathematical Society . Sierpiński authored 724 papers and 50 books. He retired in 1960 as Professor at the University of Warsaw , but continued till 1967 to give a seminar on the Theory Of Numbers at the Polish Academy Of Sciences . He also continued editorial work as editor-in-chief of ''Acta Arithmetica'', and as an editorial-board member of ''Rendiconti dei Circolo Matimatico di Palermo'', ''Composito Matematica'' and ''Zentralblatt für Mathematik''. HONORS RECEIVED Honorary Degrees: Lwów ( 1929 ), St. Marks Of Lima ( 1930 ), Amsterdam ( 1931 ), Tarta ( 1931 ), Sofia ( 1939 ), Prague ( 1947 ), Wrocław ( 1947 ), Lucknow ( 1949 ), and Moscow ( 1967 ). He was elected to the Geographic Society of Lima ( 1931 ), the Royal Scientific Society of Liège ( 1934 ), the Bulgaria n Academy of Sciences ( 1936 ), the National Academy of Lima ( 1939 ), the Royal Society of Sciences of Naples ( 1939 ), the Accademia dei Lincei of Rome ( 1947 ), the German Academy of Science ( 1950 ), the American Academy of Sciences ( 1959 ), the Paris Academy ( 1960 ), the Royal Dutch Academy ( 1961 ), the Academy of Science of Brussels ( 1961 ), the London Mathematical Society ( 1964 ), the Romania n Academy ( 1965 ) and the Papal Academy of Sciences ( 1967 ). In 1949 Sierpiński was awarded Poland's Scientific Prize, first class. Waclaw Sierpiński is interred at the Powązki Cemetery in Warsaw , Poland . SEE ALSO
EXTERNAL LINKS
Several of Sierpinski's books are available on |
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