The state examination in Münster in 1937 marked the formal academic initiation of Hans Hermes, a German mathematician who dedicated his career to the foundations of mathematical logic. Born in 1912 in Neunkirchen, he navigated the shifting political and institutional landscapes of twentieth-century Germany to become a central figure in the study of computability and recursive functions.
Early Academic Development and War Service
Starting in 1931, Hermes pursued studies in mathematics, physics, chemistry, biology, and philosophy at the University of Freiburg. Following his 1937 examination in Münster, he held a scholarship at the University of Göttingen before serving as an assistant at the University of Bonn. During World War II, his trajectory was interrupted by military service on the island of Jersey until 1943. He subsequently worked at the Chemical Physics Institute of the Navy in Kiel and later participated in cryptographic research at Toplitzsee.
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In 1947, Hermes became a lecturer at the University of Bonn, completing his habilitation with a thesis concerning analytical manifolds in Riemannian areas. By 1949, he was appointed professor at the University of Münster. There, he took over the Institute for Mathematical Logic and Basic Research from Heinrich Scholz in 1953. Under his guidance, the institute became a destination for researchers including Wilhelm Ackermann and Gisbert Hasenjaeger. He further shaped the field by co-founding the Archive for Mathematical Logic and Foundations of Mathematics in 1950 alongside Arnold Schmidt and Jürgen von Kempski, and helping to establish the German Association for Mathematical Logic and for Basic Research of the Exact Sciences in 1962.
Research on Computability and Turing Machines
Hermes produced significant work regarding the Turing machine as a foundational concept for predictability. His 1937 article, Definite terms and predictable numbers, examined Turing’s ideas, while his 1954 publication on the universality of program-controlled computing machines demonstrated that such machines possess the same cardinality as Turing machines. In 1966, he accepted an appointment to the newly established Chair of Mathematical Logic and the Foundations of Mathematics at the University of Freiburg, where he founded a specialized department. He remained there until his retirement as professor emeritus in 1977. Beyond his research, he worked on the posthumous compilation and publication of the papers of Gottlob Frege.
Fast facts
- Born: 1912, Neunkirchen, Germany
- Died: 2003, Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany
- Education: University of Münster, University of Göttingen
- Academic positions: University of Münster, University of Bonn, University of Freiburg
- Member: Heidelberg Academy of Sciences and Humanities
- Primary Field: Mathematical logic
- Notable contributions: Archive for Mathematical Logic and Foundations of Mathematics co-founder
Questions readers ask
What was the significance of the institute in Münster?
Under Hermes' leadership starting in 1953, it became a noted international center for mathematical logic and basic research.
Did Hans Hermes contribute to the study of Turing machines?
Yes, he published early work in 1937 concerning Turing's concepts and later proved that programmable machines and Turing machines share identical computational reach.
Achievements
- Held posts at University of Freiburg, University of Münster and University of Bonn
- Fields: mathematics and mathematical logic
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