Alberto Calderón facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Alberto Calderón
|
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born | September 14, 1920 Mendoza, Argentina
|
| Died | April 16, 1998 (aged 77) |
| Alma mater | University of Buenos Aires University of Chicago |
| Known for | Partial differential equations Singular integral operators Interpolation spaces |
| Spouse(s) | |
| Children | 2 |
| Awards | Bôcher Memorial Prize (1979) Leroy P. Steele Prize (1989) Wolf Prize (1989) Steele Prize (1989) National Medal of Science (1991) |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Mathematics |
| Doctoral advisor | Antoni Zygmund |
| Doctoral students | Irwin Bernstein Michael Christ Miguel de Guzmán [es] Carlos Kenig Cora Sadosky |
Alberto Pedro Calderón (born September 14, 1920 – died April 16, 1998) was a very important mathematician from Argentina. He is best known for his work at the University of Chicago. There, he and his teacher, Antoni Zygmund, created a new way to understand special math problems called singular integral operators.
Their work became so famous it was known as the "Chicago School of Analysis". Calderón's ideas helped solve many different math problems. These included partial differential equations and interpolation theory. His work also helped in real-world areas like signal processing and geophysics.
Contents
Early Life and Schooling
Alberto Pedro Calderón was born on September 14, 1920. His hometown was Mendoza, Argentina. His father was a doctor who encouraged Alberto to study math.
When he was twelve, his mother passed away. He then went to a boarding school in Switzerland for two years. There, a teacher named Save Bercovici helped him get very interested in mathematics. He finished high school back in Mendoza.
His father thought he couldn't make a living as a mathematician. So, Alberto studied engineering at the University of Buenos Aires. After he graduated in civil engineering in 1947, he got a job. He worked at a research lab for an oil company called YPF.
His Amazing Math Discoveries
While working at the oil company, Calderón met mathematicians at the University of Buenos Aires. One of them, Alberto González Domínguez, became his friend and mentor. At the oil lab, Calderón studied how to find out how well something conducts electricity. He did this by taking measurements from its edges.
Later, Calderón started working at the University of Buenos Aires. In 1948, Antoni Zygmund from the University of Chicago visited there. Zygmund invited Calderón to work with him. In 1949, Calderón went to Chicago with a special scholarship.
He was encouraged to get his PhD, which is a high-level university degree. He earned his PhD in mathematics in 1950. His teacher, Zygmund, helped him.
Calderón and Zygmund worked together for over 30 years. They created the Calderón-Zygmund theory of singular integrals. This theory was very important for the "Chicago School of Analysis." They also invented the Calderón-Zygmund decomposition lemma. This math tool is now used in many areas of math and probability.
Calderón also helped with differential equations. These are math problems that involve rates of change. His work helped solve problems in physics and engineering. He showed how to use special math tools to solve these problems.
He also worked on interpolation theory, which is about finding values between known points. His ideas opened up new areas of research. In ergodic theory, he found a way to simplify complex math problems. This helped mathematicians solve problems more easily.
His Career and Teaching
Alberto Calderón taught at many universities during his career. His main places were the University of Chicago and the University of Buenos Aires. He and Zygmund kept strong connections with Argentina and Spain. They helped math grow in these countries through their students and visits.
Here are some of the places he worked:
- 1947 - 1950: Rockefeller Foundation Fellow, University of Chicago
- 1950 - 1953: Visiting Associate Professor, Ohio State University
- 1953 - 1955: Member, Institute for Advanced Study
- 1955 - 1959: Associate Professor, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
- 1959 - 1968: Professor, University of Chicago
- 1968 - 1972: Louis Block Professor of Mathematics, University of Chicago
- 1972 - 1975: Professor, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
- 1975 - 1985: University Professor of Mathematics, University of Chicago
- 1975 - his death: Honorary Professor, University of Buenos Aires
He was also a visiting professor at many other universities around the world. These included Cornell University, Stanford University, and the Collège de France in Paris.
Awards and Special Honors
Calderón received many awards and honors for his math work. He was recognized all over the world. He gave many talks at universities and math groups. He spoke at the International Congress of Mathematicians in Moscow in 1966 and in Helsinki in 1978.
A math research center in Buenos Aires, Argentina, is now named after him. It is called the Instituto Argentino de Matemática Alberto Calderón. In 2007, a special award was created in his honor. It is called the Calderón Prize. This prize is given to researchers who make great contributions to inverse problems in math.
Academies He Joined
- 1958: American Academy of Arts and Sciences
- 1959: National Academy of Exact, Physical and Natural Sciences, Argentina
- 1968: National Academy of Sciences of the U.S.A.
- 1970: Royal Academy of Sciences, Spain
- 1983: Latin American Academy of Sciences
- 1984: National Academy of Exact, Physical and Natural Sciences, Argentina
- 1984: Institut de France, Paris
- 1984: Third World Academy of Sciences
Prizes He Won
- 1969: Latin American Prize in Mathematics
- 1979: Bôcher Memorial Prize
- 1983: Konex Award
- 1989: Premio de Consagración Nacional
- 1989: Wolf Prize
- 1989: Steele Prize
- 1991: National Medal of Science
Honorary Degrees
- 1969: Doctor Honoris Causa, University of Buenos Aires
- 1989: Doctor of Science, Honoris Causa, Technion, Israel
- 1995: Doctor of Science, Honoris Causa, Ohio State University
- 1997: Doctor Honoris Causa, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Spain
See also
In Spanish: Alberto Pedro Calderón para niños
|
