John von Neumann facts for kids

John von Neumann
Quick facts for kids John von Neumann
	John von Neumann in the 1940s
Born	December 28, 1903; Budapest, Austrian-Hungarian Monarchy
Died	February 8, 1957 (aged 53); Washington, D.C., United States
Nationality	Hungarian, American
	Scientific career
Fields	Mathematics

John von Neumann (December 28. 1903 – February 8. 1957) was a Hungarian-American mathematician and physicist who contributed to many fields including:

He is generally regarded as a prodigy, polymath and one of the most important mathematicians of the 20th century.

He was a member of a group called the 'Martians' who were a group of prominent Hungarian scientists (mostly, but not exclusively, physicists and mathematicians) who emigrated to the United States in the early half of the 20th century. Other people in this group were Edward Teller, Paul Erdős, Leó Szilárd and Eugene Wigner.

Noteworthy work

His textbook on quantum mechanics is one of the first on this topic.
His game theory is considered one of the most important tools in competitive strategic management and is also of high importance in biosciences.
He is the designer of the Von-Neumann architecture, which is basic to nearly all computers today.
He was one of the first proponents of artificial intelligence. He proposed the idea of self replicating machines. This is why a machine that can replicate itself is now commonly referred to as a 'Von Neumann machine'.
With Stanislav Ulam, he did some of the most important calculations in the Manhattan project.
He worked at the Institute of Advanced Studies the same time as Albert Einstein, Kurt Gödel and Robert Oppenheimer
His principles are included in every modern computer, tablet or phone.

Images for kids

Von Neumann's wartime Los Alamos ID badge photo
Implosion mechanism
Operation Redwing nuclear test in July 1956
Von Neumann (left) and Robert Oppenheimer (right) in front of EDVAC
Von Neumann's gravestone