Quadratic forms and their applications served as the primary focus for Winfried Scharlau, a German mathematician whose academic career spanned over five decades. Born in Berlin in 1940, he contributed to number theory and the history of mathematics before his death in Havixbeck in 2020. His scholarly output included monographs, biographies, and novels.
Academic Training and Early Career
Scharlau completed his doctoral studies at the University of Bonn in 1967. His thesis, titled Quadratische Formen und Galois-Cohomologie, was conducted under the supervision of Friedrich Hirzebruch. Following his doctorate, he spent time at the Institute for Advanced Study during the 1969–1970 academic year and again in the spring of 1972. His professional life centered on the University of Münster, where he served as a professor and eventually as the Institutsdirektor until his retirement.
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The research output of Scharlau centered on the theory of quadratic forms. In 1985, he published the comprehensive monograph Quadratic and Hermitian Forms within the Springer series Grundlehren der mathematischen Wissenschaften. His work often bridged theoretical development with historical analysis. In 1974, he presented his research on the subspaces of inner product spaces at the International Congress of Mathematicians held in Vancouver. He also served as the president of the German Mathematical Society from 1991 to 1992.
Historical and Literary Interests
Beyond his specialized mathematical research, Scharlau engaged in the history of mathematics. He co-authored a historically oriented introduction to number theory with Hans Opolka, which examined the development of the field in the 19th century, covering topics like the analytical class number formula of Dirichlet. Later in his career, he focused on biographical projects, including a multi-part examination of Alexander Grothendieck. Outside of academia, he authored the novels I megali istoria and Scharife, and published studies on the birdlife of the southern Aegean.
Fast facts
- Born: 1940, Berlin
- Died: 2020, Havixbeck
- Doctoral Alma Mater: University of Bonn
- Primary Professional Home: University of Münster
- President of German Mathematical Society: 1991–1992
- Key Research Area: Theory of quadratic forms
- Notable Biography Subject: Alexander Grothendieck
- Member: Göttingen Academy of Sciences and Humanities
Questions readers ask
What was the focus of Scharlau’s doctoral research?
His 1967 doctoral thesis at the University of Bonn was titled Quadratische Formen und Galois-Cohomologie, supervised by Friedrich Hirzebruch.
Did Scharlau write about subjects other than mathematics?
Yes, he authored two novels, I megali istoria and Scharife, as well as ornithological research on the birdlife of the southern Aegean.
Achievements
- Held posts at University of Münster
- Fields: mathematics, number theory and quadratic form
