Ernst Sejersted Selmer | |
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Born | 11 February 1920 |
Died | 8 November 2006 | (aged 86)
Nationality | Norwegian |
Alma mater | University of Oslo |
Known for | Advanced research within cryptography that formed the basis of modern crypto machines in NATO and NSA |
Awards | Order of St. Olav |
Scientific career | |
Fields | Mathematics, Cryptography, Computer science |
Institutions | University of Oslo University of Bergen |
Ernst Sejersted Selmer (11 February 1920[1] – 8 November 2006) was a Norwegian mathematician, who worked in number theory, as well as a cryptologist. The Selmer group of an Abelian variety is named after him. His primary contributions to mathematics reside within the field of diophantine equations.[2] He started working as a cryptologist during the Second World War;[3] due to his work, Norway became a NATO superpower in the field of encryption.[4]