Hans Föllmer

German mathematician

In the history of mathematics, Hans Föllmer is one of the names that keeps returning.

The record lists Hans Föllmer as German mathematician.

Hans Föllmer was born at Heilbad Heiligenstadt in 1941. His recorded nationality is Germany. He studied at University of Erlangen–Nuremberg.

Twentieth-century mathematics became abstract and highly specialised, and its methods reached into physics, economics and computing.

His academic posts were held at University of Bonn, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin and ETH Zurich.

The recorded fields of work are probability theory.

Mathematical work is judged by whether anyone can build on it, and that judgement takes decades.

Recognition followed: Gay-Lussac-Humboldt-Prize (2002) and Cantor medal (2006).

That the work was done from Germany matters: mathematical training, institutions and the language of publication have never been evenly distributed.

Achievements

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