Emil Grosswald published his initial trio of scientific papers while living in Cuba under the alias E. G. Garnea. A specialist in number theory and mathematical analysis, his academic journey traversed borders from Bucharest to Paris and ultimately the United States, where he settled into a long-standing career as a researcher and dedicated university educator.
Academic Formation and Migration
Born in Bucharest in 1912, Grosswald completed his initial studies at the University of Bucharest, earning degrees in mathematics and electrical engineering in 1933. He later attended the École supérieure d'électricité in Paris. Following the onset of conflict in Europe, he conducted doctoral research at the University of Montpellier before navigating through Spain and Portugal to reach Cuba. He eventually arrived in the United States, obtaining his Ph.D. from the University of Pennsylvania in 1950 under the supervision of Hans Rademacher.
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His teaching career began at the University of Saskatchewan during the 1950-1951 academic year. He held a position at the University of Pennsylvania for sixteen years, starting in 1952. In 1968, he moved to Temple University to assist in the development of its graduate mathematics department. Throughout his life, he also maintained affiliations with the Institute for Advanced Study, the Technion in Israel, Swarthmore College, and the University of Paris.
Mathematical Contributions
Grosswald produced extensive work in number theory, including the authored volumes Bessel Polynomials and Representations of Integers as Sums of Squares. Following the death of Hans Rademacher in 1969, Grosswald completed and edited several of his mentor's projects, including Dedekind Sums and Topics in Analytic Number Theory. Additionally, he collaborated with Franz Josef Schnitzer to establish the Grosswald–Schnitzer theorem, which identifies classes of modified Zeta functions sharing non-trivial zeros with the Riemann zeta function.
Fast facts
- Born: 1912, Bucharest
- Died: 1989, Narberth
- Citizenship: United States
- Ph.D. Institution: University of Pennsylvania
- Primary Fields: Number theory, mathematical analysis
- Burial Site: Mount Sharon Cemetery
Questions readers ask
Where did Emil Grosswald teach?
He held positions at the University of Saskatchewan, the University of Pennsylvania, Temple University, the Technion, Swarthmore College, and the University of Paris.
What subjects did Grosswald research?
He focused primarily on number theory and mathematical analysis.
Achievements
- Held posts at University of Pennsylvania, Temple University and University of Saskatchewan
- Fields: mathematical analysis and number theory
