Emil Artin facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Emil Artin
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| Born | March 3, 1898 |
| Died | December 20, 1962 (aged 64) |
| Alma mater | University of Vienna University of Leipzig |
| Known for | Abstract algebra List of things named after Emil Artin |
| Spouse(s) | Natascha Artin Brunswick |
| Awards | Ackermann–Teubner Memorial Award (1932) |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Mathematics |
| Institutions | University of Hamburg University of Notre Dame Indiana University Princeton University |
| Doctoral advisor | Gustav Herglotz Otto Ludwig Hölder |
| Doctoral students | Nesmith Ankeny Karel deLeeuw Bernard Dwork David Gilbarg David K. Harrison Serge Lang A. Murray MacBeath Arthur Mattuck O. Timothy O'Meara Kollagunta Ramanathan Richard J. Semple Harold N. Shapiro John Tate Hans Zassenhaus Max Zorn |
Emil Artin (March 3, 1898 – December 20, 1962) was an Austrian mathematician. He was one of the most important mathematicians of the 1900s.
Artin was known for his work in algebraic number theory. This is a part of mathematics that studies numbers using ideas from algebra. He helped create class field theory and new ways to understand L-functions. He also worked on theories about rings, groups, and fields in mathematics.
Many people see him, along with Emmy Noether, as a founder of modern abstract algebra. This is a branch of mathematics that studies algebraic structures like groups, rings, and fields.
Contents
Early Life and School
Family and Childhood
Emil Artin was born in Vienna, Austria, in 1898. His mother, Emma Maria, was an opera singer. His father, Emil Hadochadus Maria Artin, was also an opera singer or art dealer. The family name was originally Artinian, but it was shortened to Artin.
Emil's father died when Emil was eight years old. A year later, his mother remarried Rudolf Hübner, a successful businessman. His mother stopped her singing career after remarrying.
School Days
In 1907, Emil went to school in Horní Stropnice. He later attended the Realschule in Reichenberg. There, he became good friends with Arthur Baer, who later became an astronomer. Emil and Arthur shared a love for astronomy and even had their own telescopes. They once rigged a telegraph between their houses to share discoveries!
Emil's grades in mathematics were only "satisfactory" at first. He later said he didn't really like math until he was 16. However, his grades in physics and chemistry were better.
He spent a year in France in 1912-1913, which he loved. After returning, his schoolwork improved a lot. He started getting "good" or "very good" grades in almost all subjects. By 1916, he graduated with "distinction," meaning he was very well prepared for university.
University Studies
In October 1916, Artin started studying mathematics at the University of Vienna. He also took courses in astrophysics and Latin.
His studies were paused in 1918 when he joined the Austrian army. He was sent to the Italian front. Luckily, he avoided fighting by volunteering as a translator. He quickly learned some Italian, even though he didn't know it before.
After the war, he returned to the University of Vienna. In 1919, he moved to Leipzig and continued his studies there. His main teacher was Gustav Herglotz. Artin also studied chemistry and different areas of physics. In June 1921, he earned his Doctor of Philosophy degree. His dissertation was about quadratic fields in higher congruences.
After Leipzig, Artin spent a year at the University of Göttingen. This university was a very important place for mathematics at the time. He worked with famous mathematicians like Emmy Noether and David Hilbert.
Artin loved music throughout his life. He played keyboard instruments and was a skilled flutist. He especially loved the music of Johann Sebastian Bach.
Career Highlights
Teaching in Hamburg
In 1922, Artin accepted a teaching job at the University of Hamburg. He became an Associate Professor in 1925 and a full Professor in 1926. He was one of the youngest math professors in Germany.
In 1925, Artin went on a long hiking trip to Iceland with six young men. He kept a detailed journal and took many photos. He was very interested in Iceland's geology. The group also brought musical instruments and played for their Icelandic hosts.
Artin's friends in Hamburg included a painter and an author. He bought a harpsichord and a clavichord, and often hosted music gatherings at his home.
On August 15, 1929, Artin married Natalia Naumovna Jasny, known as Natascha. She was a Russian immigrant and had been his student. They both loved photography. Natascha took many beautiful photos of Emil and their family.
In 1932, Artin received the Ackermann–Teubner Memorial Award. He shared this award with Emmy Noether for their important work in mathematics.
During the Nazi Period
In 1933, Emil and Natascha had their first child, Karin. Their son, Michael, was born in 1934. Life in Germany became difficult because of the Nazi Party. Natascha was partly Jewish, and Artin openly disliked the Hitler regime.
Even though some friends tried to help, Artin's situation became dangerous. In July 1937, he lost his job at the university. This was because of Nazi laws about people with Jewish heritage.
Luckily, friends like Richard Courant and Solomon Lefschetz helped him find a new job. He was offered a position at the University of Notre Dame in the United States.
Moving to the U.S.
The Artin family had to pack everything they owned to move to the U.S. German law didn't allow them to take much money out of the country. So, they shipped all their belongings, including their furniture and musical instruments.
On October 21, 1937, they boarded a ship to America. Their daughter Karin was sick, but they managed to get her on board without problems. A week later, they arrived in Hoboken, New Jersey.
Years in Bloomington
In November 1937, Artin started teaching at Notre Dame. The next year, he moved to Indiana University in Bloomington. Their second son, Thomas, was born there in 1938.
In Bloomington, Artin continued his love for music. He bought a piano and a Hammond Organ. He even modified the organ to play more of Bach's music. His children also played instruments, and their home was often filled with chamber music.
The Artins had many friends from different university departments, showing Emil's wide interests. He also taught at other universities during summer semesters.
Artin wanted his children to speak German at home. He often read German literature aloud to them. He also read English favorites like Mark Twain's "Tom Sawyer." The family didn't have a radio or TV, except for news during the war.
During World War II, Artin and Natascha were considered "enemy aliens" because they were German citizens. They applied for American citizenship in 1945 and became citizens in 1946.
Artin had stopped smoking years before, vowing not to smoke as long as Adolf Hitler was in power. When Germany surrendered in 1945, he celebrated with a cigarette. Sadly, this led him to start smoking heavily again for the rest of his life.
Princeton Years
After the war, Princeton University became a major center for mathematics. In 1946, Artin became a Professor at Princeton.
He taught many students, including famous mathematicians like Serge Lang and John Tate (mathematician). Artin was known for his excellent teaching. He could explain complex ideas clearly and beautifully, often without notes.
Artin believed mathematics was an art, not just a science. He said that mathematicians try to show the "structural beauty" of math. He felt that understanding math should be "instantaneous," like seeing a complete work of art.
During his time at Princeton, Artin built a reflecting telescope. He spent weeks trying to grind the mirror perfectly. He finally succeeded after getting advice from astronomers and trying a warmer location. He used this telescope to observe the night sky.
In 1955, Artin visited Japan. He was very interested in learning about Buddhism and visiting its holy sites. He described his visits to temples and his attempts to understand different Buddhist ideas.
Later Life and Legacy
In 1956, Artin returned to Germany for the first time in almost 20 years. He visited his mother in Vienna, his birthplace. In 1957, he received an honorary doctorate from the University of Freiburg.
Artin's marriage to Natascha ended in divorce in 1959. He decided to move back to Hamburg permanently in 1958. This was partly because Princeton had a mandatory retirement age of 65, and Artin wanted to keep teaching.
In Hamburg, he lived with mathematician Hel Braun. He became a German citizen again in 1961. In 1962, he received another honorary doctorate from the University of Clermont-Ferrand. Emil Artin died in Hamburg later that year, at age 64, from a heart attack.
The University of Hamburg named a lecture hall after him in 2005 to honor his memory.
Artin's Mathematical Impact
Emil Artin was one of the most important algebraists of the 20th century. His ideas greatly influenced the field of abstract algebra. His work helped shape how abstract algebra was taught and understood.
He solved Hilbert's seventeenth problem in 1927. He also developed the theory of braids, which is a part of algebraic topology. Artin also helped make Galois theory and group cohomology standard topics in mathematics.
Artin's Conjectures
Artin left behind two important ideas that are still being studied today, both called Artin's conjecture.
- The first is about Artin L-functions, which are special functions in number theory.
- The second is about how often a number is a primitive root for different prime numbers. These conjectures are still unproven, though there has been progress on the second one.
Family Life
Emil Artin married Natascha Jasny in 1932. They had three children. Their son, Michael Artin, became a famous American mathematician. Their daughter, Karin Artin, was the first wife of mathematician John Tate (mathematician).
See also
In Spanish: Emil Artin para niños
- List of things named after Emil Artin
Images for kids
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Emil Artin 1925.jpg
Emil Artin in 1925.
