The 1978 Wolf Prize in Mathematics was split between Carl Ludwig Siegel and Israel Gelfand, acknowledging Siegel as a central figure in 20th-century analytic number theory and celestial mechanics. Born in Berlin in 1896, Siegel navigated a turbulent academic landscape across the Weimar Republic, Nazi Germany, and the United States before his death in Göttingen in 1981.
Academic Formation and Early Research
Siegel enrolled at the Frederick William University in 1915 to study mathematics, physics, and astronomy. Influenced by Max Planck and Ferdinand Georg Frobenius, he shifted his focus toward number theory. In 1917, during World War I, he served in the Imperial German Army, though his staunch antimilitarism led to a temporary commitment to a psychiatric facility. He completed his doctoral studies at the University of Göttingen under Edmund Landau in 1920, remaining there as an assistant to produce initial major findings.
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Appointed professor at Goethe University Frankfurt in 1922, Siegel became part of a rigorous intellectual circle including Max Dehn and Ernst Hellinger. He opposed the rise of Nazism, an ideological stance that hindered his career opportunities within Germany. In 1940, he emigrated to the United States, securing a position at the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton. After the war, he returned to the University of Göttingen in 1951, where he served until his retirement in 1967.
Contributions to Number Theory
Siegel expanded mathematical boundaries through the Thue–Siegel–Roth theorem, Siegel’s lemma, and the Smith–Minkowski–Siegel mass formula. His research into the finiteness of integer points on curves established fundamental results for diophantine equations. Additionally, his investigation of Riemann’s unpublished papers yielded the Riemann–Siegel formula. His academic influence extended to students like Jürgen Moser, who advanced chaos theory, and Hel Braun, one of the few female full professors in German mathematics during the era.
Fast facts
- Born: 1896, Berlin
- Died: 1981, Göttingen
- PhD Advisor: Edmund Landau
- Wolf Prize: 1978
- Primary Field: Number theory
- Notable Work: Thue–Siegel–Roth theorem
- Key Employer: Institute for Advanced Study
Questions readers ask
What is the Siegel zero phenomenon?
It is a specific aspect of his work on L-functions, which Siegel identified during his research.
Which honors did he receive?
He was awarded the Wolf Prize in Mathematics, the Pour le Mérite for Sciences and Arts, and the Knight Commander's Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany.
Achievements
- Knight Commander's Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany — 1964
- Wolf Prize in Mathematics — 1978
- Notable work: Brauer–Siegel theorem
- Notable work: Siegel–Walfisz theorem
- Notable work: Thue–Siegel–Roth theorem
- Notable work: Siegel's theorem on integral points
- Held posts at Goethe University Frankfurt, University of Göttingen and University of Göttingen
- Fields: number theory, mathematics and function theory
