Birkhoff, George David
–, American mathematician, b. Overisel, Mich.; father of Garrett Birkhoff. The son of a physician, he was educated at Harvard (B.A., ) and the Univ. of Chicago (Ph.D., ) After teaching shortly at Chicago and Princeton, he joined the faculty at Harvard () where he taught until his death. Birkhoff, perhaps the first American mathematician of international repute, is known for his work on linear differential equations and difference equations. He was also deeply interested in and made contributions to the analysis of dynamical systems, celestial mechanics, the four-color map problem, and function spaces. In addition he wrote on the foundations of relativity and quantum mechanics and on art and music, e.g., ().
See his (3 vol., ).
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Overisel, Michigan, USA
Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
Biography
George Birkhoff's parents were David Birkhoff, who was a medical doctor, and Jane Gertrude Droppers. George was educated in Chicago where he was a student at the Lewis Institute from to In he began a correspondence with Harry Vandiver on a problem in number theory. Together they studied the prime factors of an−bn and later wrote up their work for publication. Graduating from the Lewis Institute in , Birkhoff began his university education.He entered the University of Chicago in , spending a year there, then moved to Harvard University where he studied from to While at Harvard he submitted the results he had obtained with Vandiver to the Annals of Mathematics in and this joint number theory paper became his first publication. Also in he submitted a paper on analysis to the American Mathematical Society. During these two years at Harvard the teacher who i
George David Birkhoff Edit Profile
mathematicianscientist
George David Birkhoff was an American mathematician best known for what is now called the ergodic theorem. He was one of the most important leaders in American mathematics in his generation, and during his time he was considered by many to be the preeminent American mathematician.
Background
He was born at Overisel, Michigan, on the twenty-first of March, His ancestry was Dutch on both sides. His father, David Birkhoff, came from Holland in , and during George David’s growing years was a physician in Chicago.
Education
Birkhoff studied at the Lewis Institute, Chicago, from to , and at the University of Chicago for a year. After this he went to Harvard, where he received the Bachelor’s degree in
Career
In , attempting to solve the four-color problem, Birkhoff introduced the chromatic polynomial. Even though this line of attack did not prove fruitful, the polynomial itself became an important object of study in algebraic graph theory.
In , he proved Poincaré&#;s &#;Last Geometric Theorem,&#; a special case of the three-body problem, a result that made hi
George David Birkhoff
| American mathematician Date of Birth: Country: USA |
Content:
- George David Birkhoff ()
- Academic Career
- Contributions to Physics
- Birkhoff's Original Theory of Gravity
- Work in Mathematics
- Notable Students and Legacy
George David Birkhoff ()
Early Life and EducationGeorge David Birkhoff was born in Overisel, Michigan, on March 21, He demonstrated a precocious talent for mathematics from a young age. Birkhoff earned his bachelor's degree from Harvard University in and his Ph.D. in mathematics from the University of Chicago in
Academic Career
After graduating, Birkhoff began his academic career as an instructor at Harvard University. In , he moved to the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where he remained until his retirement in Birkhoff served as President of the American Mathematical Society from
Contributions to Physics
Birkhoff's research interests extended beyond mathematics into physics. He made significant contributions to theories in both classical and quantum mechanics. In , he collaborated with R.E. Langer to publish "Relativity and Modern Physics," a seminal monograph on the subject. That same year, Birkhoff proved th
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