Vera T. Sós facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Vera Sós
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Sós in 2008
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Vera Turán Sós
11 September 1930 Budapest, Hungary
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| Died | 22 March 2023 (aged 92) |
| Nationality | Hungarian |
| Alma mater | Eötvös Loránd University. |
| Awards | Tibor Szele Medal (1974), Academic Award (1983), Széchenyi Prize (1997), Cross of the Hungarian Order of Merit (2002), elected to Academia Europaea (2013) |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Mathematics |
| Institutions | Eötvös Loránd University |
| Doctoral students |
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Vera Turán Sós (born September 11, 1930 – died March 22, 2023) was a famous Hungarian mathematician. She was an expert in two main areas: number theory and combinatorics. Number theory is about the properties and relationships of numbers. Combinatorics is about counting, arranging, and combining things.
Vera Sós worked closely with two other well-known mathematicians, Paul Erdős and Alfréd Rényi. She also often collaborated with her husband, Pál Turán, who was also a mathematician. The letter 'T' in her name stands for Turán, her husband's last name. She worked at the Eötvös Loránd University in Budapest until 1987. After that, she joined the Alfréd Rényi Institute of Mathematics.
One of her important discoveries is the Kővári–Sós–Turán theorem. This theorem helps figure out the largest number of connections (called edges) a special type of network (called a bipartite graph) can have. It applies when the network doesn't contain certain smaller, complete network shapes.
Another famous result is the friendship theorem, which she proved with Paul Erdős and Alfréd Rényi. Imagine a group of people where any two people have exactly one friend in common. The theorem says that in such a group, one person must be friends with everyone else!
In number theory, Sós proved the three-gap theorem. This theorem was first thought of by Hugo Steinhaus. It was also proven independently by another mathematician, Stanisław Świerczkowski.
Early Life and Studies
Vera Sós was the daughter of a school teacher. She went to the Abonyi Street Jewish high school in Budapest and finished in 1948. Her teacher, Tibor Gallai, introduced her to Alfréd Rényi and Paul Erdős. She later worked with both of them. In fact, she and Erdős wrote thirty research papers together! Sós believed that Gallai was the person who first saw her talent for mathematics. She was one of only three girls in Gallai's class who became a mathematician.
Sós then went to Eötvös Loránd University. She studied both mathematics and physics there, graduating in 1952. Even while she was still a student, Sós started teaching at Eötvös University in 1950. When she was twenty, Sós went to a big math meeting in Budapest and did a summer internship. She met her future husband and fellow mathematician, Paul Turán, in college. They got married in 1952 and had two children, Gyorgy and Thomas, in 1953 and 1960. Sadly, Turán passed away in September 1976.
Contributions to Mathematics
In 1965, Vera Sós started a weekly meeting called the Hajnal–Sós seminar. She began it with András Hajnal at the Mathematical Institute of the Hungarian Academy for Science. This seminar became a place where mathematicians could share new discoveries in combinatorics. It is still held every week today!
Throughout her many years working in mathematics, Sós received many honors for her important work. One of the most significant awards was the Széchenyi Prize, which she received in 1997. The Széchenyi Prize is given to people who have made great contributions to academic life in Hungary.
Awards and Recognition
Vera Sós received many awards for her important work:
- Academia Europaea member: 2013
- Széchenyi Prize: 1997
- Academic Award: 1983
- Cross of the Hungarian Order of Merit: 2002
- Tibor Szele Medal: 1974
