Hermann Minkowski

Hermann Minkowski
Born(1864-06-22)22 June 1864
Aleksotas, Suwałki Governorate, Kingdom of Poland (now in Kaunas, Lithuania)
Died12 January 1909(1909-01-12) (aged 44)
Göttingen, German Empire
CitizenshipRussian Empire[1] or Germany
Alma materAlbertina University of Königsberg
Known for
SpouseAuguste Adler
Children2
Scientific career
FieldsMathematics, physics, philosophy
InstitutionsUniversity of Göttingen and ETH Zurich
Doctoral advisorFerdinand von Lindemann
Doctoral studentsConstantin Carathéodory
Louis Kollros
Dénes Kőnig
Signature
Special relativity
The world line: a diagrammatic representation of spacetime
Foundations
Consequences
Spacetime
Dynamics
People

Hermann Minkowski (/mɪŋˈkɔːfski, -ˈkɒf-/ ming-KAWF-skee, -⁠KOF-;[2] German: [mɪŋˈkɔfski]; 22 June 1864 – 12 January 1909) was a mathematician and professor at the University of Königsberg, the University of Zürich, and the University of Göttingen, described variously as German,[3][4][5] Polish,[6][7][8] or Lithuanian-German,[9] or Russian.[1] He created and developed the geometry of numbers and elements of convex geometry, and used geometrical methods to solve problems in number theory, mathematical physics, and the theory of relativity.

Minkowski is perhaps best known for his foundational work describing space and time as a four-dimensional space, now known as "Minkowski spacetime", which facilitated geometric interpretations of Albert Einstein's special theory of relativity (1905).

  1. ^ a b Encyclopedia of Earth and Physical Sciences. New York: Marshall Cavendish. 1998. p. 1203. ISBN 9780761405511.
  2. ^ "Minkowski". Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary.
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference Encyclopædia Britannica was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference :1 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference :2 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ Cite error: The named reference :3 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  7. ^ Cite error: The named reference :4 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  8. ^ Cite error: The named reference :5 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  9. ^ Cite error: The named reference :6 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).