Johan Jensen (mathematician) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Johan Jensen
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Born | Nakskov, Denmark
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8 May 1859
Died | 5 March 1925 |
(aged 65)
Nationality | Danish |
Known for | Jensen's inequality Jensen's formula |
Scientific career | |
Fields | Mathematics |
Johan Ludwig William Valdemar Jensen, usually called Johan Jensen, was a clever Danish mathematician and engineer. He was born on May 8, 1859, and died on March 5, 1925. He is best known for his important ideas in mathematics, like Jensen's inequality. He also led the Danish Mathematical Society for many years.
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Who Was Johan Jensen?
Johan Jensen was born in a town called Nakskov in Denmark. When he was a child, his family moved to northern Sweden. This was because his father got a job there managing a large estate.
Early Life and Education
Before 1876, Jensen's family moved back to Denmark. He then enrolled at the College of Advanced Technology. At college, he studied many subjects, including mathematics. He even published a research paper about math during this time.
A Self-Taught Mathematician
Even though he studied math at college, Jensen learned most of his advanced math topics by himself. He never worked as a professor or held a teaching job at a university. Instead, he became a very successful engineer.
Career as an Engineer
From 1881 to 1924, Jensen worked for the Copenhagen Telephone Company. He was a skilled engineer there. By 1890, he became the head of the company's technical department. He did all his important math research in his free time, outside of his engineering job.
His Mathematical Discoveries
Jensen is most famous for something called Jensen's inequality. This is a very important idea in mathematics. In 1915, he also proved another key concept known as Jensen's formula. This formula is used in a part of math called complex analysis, which deals with special kinds of numbers.