The publication of "Die Idee der Riemannschen Fläche" in 1913 marked a significant transition in mathematics, as Hermann Weyl introduced point set topology to provide a rigorous foundation for the theory of Riemann surfaces. This early work set a precedent for his career, which spanned theoretical physics, number theory, and the philosophical underpinnings of mathematical practice.
Early Academic Formation
Born in 1885 in Elmshorn, Germany, Weyl attended the Gymnasium Christianeum before pursuing higher education at the University of Göttingen and Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München between 1904 and 1908. He completed his doctorate at Göttingen under the supervision of David Hilbert. Following his habilitation, he served as a university teacher at Göttingen from 1909 until 1913, when he accepted a chair at ETH Zurich.
Twenty questions, eight minutes on the clock, and a percentile measured against everyone who has taken it. No sign-up.
Take the IQ test →Contributions to Physics and Geometry
During his tenure at ETH Zurich, Weyl worked alongside Albert Einstein and became deeply involved in theoretical physics. His 1918 publication, "Raum, Zeit, Materie," analyzed relativity, and he proposed an early version of gauge theory in an attempt to link electromagnetism and gravitation geometrically. His technical output included the development of the Weyl tensor and the Weyl group, which remain integral to differential geometry and modern physics.
Transition to Princeton
Weyl returned to the University of Göttingen in 1930 to succeed Hilbert but left in 1933 due to the political climate under the Nazi regime. He joined the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, New Jersey, where he remained as a faculty member until his retirement in 1951. Throughout this period, he maintained his research interests in symmetry and the history of mathematics before eventually settling in Zurich, where he died in 1955.
Fast facts
- Born: 1885, Elmshorn, Germany
- Died: 1955, Zurich, Switzerland
- Education: University of Göttingen, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München
- Key Employers: ETH Zurich, University of Göttingen, Institute for Advanced Study
- Notable Honors: Lobachevsky Prize (1927), Foreign Member of the Royal Society (1936)
- Notable Works: Weyl group, Weyl tensor, Weyl algebra, Peter–Weyl theorem
- Citizenship: German Empire, Weimar Republic, Switzerland, United States
- Burial Site: Princeton Cemetery
Questions readers ask
What subjects did Hermann Weyl study besides mathematics?
Weyl was a polymath who engaged extensively with theoretical physics, philosophy, logic, and the history of mathematics.
Where are Hermann Weyl's remains located?
He was cremated in Zurich in 1955, and his ashes were later interred in an outdoor columbarium vault at the Princeton Cemetery in 1999.
Achievements
- Notable work: Weyl tensor
- Notable work: Weyl equation
- Notable work: Weyl group
- Notable work: Weyl algebra
- Affiliated with University of Göttingen, Institute for Advanced Study and University of Göttingen
- Educated at University of Göttingen, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München and Christianeum
- Worked as mathematician, physicist and philosopher
