Joseph Gillis facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Joseph E. Gillis
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| Born | 3 August 1911 |
| Died | 18 November 1993 (aged 82) Rehovot, Israel
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| Nationality | British and Israeli |
| Alma mater | Cambridge University |
| Spouse(s) | Olga Kirsch |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Mathematics |
| Institutions | Weizmann Institute of Science |
| Doctoral advisor | Abram Samoilovitch Besicovitch |
| Notable students | Achi Brandt |
Joseph E. Gillis (born August 3, 1911 – died November 18, 1993) was a brilliant mathematician from Britain and Israel. He was one of the people who helped start the Faculty of Mathematics at the Weizmann Institute of Science. There, he became a Professor of Applied Mathematics. He made important discoveries in areas like fractals, how liquids move (fluid dynamics), and random walks. He also helped create new ways to understand special math problems.
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Joseph Gillis's Life and Work
Joseph Gillis was born on August 3, 1911, in Sunderland, a city in the north east of England. He went to Trinity College, Cambridge, a famous university. In 1935, he finished his PhD, which is a very high degree in academics. His research was about "Some Geometrical Properties of Linearly Measurable Plane Sets of Points." His teacher was A.S. Besicovitch.
Working During World War II
During World War II, Joseph Gillis worked at a secret place called Bletchley Park. He was a cryptographer, which means he helped break secret codes used by the enemy. This work was very important for the war effort. Before that, from 1937 to 1947, he taught math at Queen's University Belfast in Northern Ireland.
Moving to Israel and Teaching Math
In 1948, Joseph Gillis moved to Israel. He joined the Weizmann Institute of Science, which was then called the Ziv Institute. He and other scientists helped create the Department of Applied Mathematics there. He also worked as the Academic Secretary for a time.
In 1954 and 1955, he visited the Institute for Advanced Study in the United States. This was a special project about electronic computers, led by a very famous scientist named John von Neumann.
Joseph Gillis was very passionate about helping people learn math. He led the department that focused on science teaching at the Weizmann Institute. He also started the Israel Mathematics Olympiad, which is a big math competition for students. He coached the Israeli team for many years. He even edited math magazines for high school students and people who loved math as a hobby.
Family Life
Joseph Gillis was married to Olga Kirsch. They had two daughters together. He passed away on November 18, 1993.
