Carl Ludwig Siegel | |
|---|---|
 Carl Ludwig Siegel in 1975 | |
| Born | 31 December 1896 |
| Died | 4 April 1981 (aged 84) |
| Alma mater | University of Göttingen |
| Known for | Brauer–Siegel theorem Siegel modular form Siegel modular variety Siegel zero Smith–Minkowski–Siegel mass formula Thue–Siegel–Roth theorem Siegel's theorem on integral points Siegel domain |
| Awards | Wolf Prize (1978) |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Mathematics |
| Institutions | Johann Wolfgang Goethe-Universität Institute for Advanced Study |
| Doctoral advisor | Edmund Landau |
| Doctoral students | |
Carl Ludwig Siegel (31 December 1896 – 4 April 1981) was a German mathematician specialising in analytic number theory. He is known for, amongst other things, his contributions to the Thue–Siegel–Roth theorem in Diophantine approximation, Siegel's method,[1] Siegel's lemma and the Siegel mass formula for quadratic forms. He has been named one of the most important mathematicians of the 20th century.[2][3]
André Weil, without hesitation, named[4] Siegel as the greatest mathematician of the first half of the 20th century. Atle Selberg said of Siegel and his work:
He was in some ways, perhaps, the most impressive mathematician I have met. I would say, in a way, devastatingly so. The things that Siegel tended to do were usually things that seemed impossible. Also after they were done, they still seemed almost impossible.
- ^ "Siegel Method". Encyclopedia of Mathematics.
- ^ Pérez, R. A. (2011) A brief but historic article of Siegel, NAMS 58(4), 558–566.
- ^ "Obituary: Prof. Carl L. Siegel, 84; Leading Mathematician". NY Times. April 15, 1981.
- ^ Krantz, Steven G. (2002). Mathematical Apocrypha. Mathematical Association of America. pp. 185–186. ISBN 0-88385-539-9.