William Feller facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
William Feller
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| Born |
Vilibald Srećko Feller
July 7, 1906 |
| Died | January 14, 1970 (aged 63) New York City, US
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| Nationality | Croatian–American |
| Alma mater | University of Zagreb University of Göttingen |
| Known for | Feller process Feller's coin-tossing constants Feller-continuous process Feller's paradox Feller's theorem Feller–Pareto distribution< Feller–Tornier constant Feller–Miyadera–Phillips theorem Proof by intimidation |
| Awards | National Medal of Science (USA) in Mathematical, Statistical, and Computational Sciences (1969) |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Mathematician |
| Institutions | University of Kiel University of Copenhagen University of Stockholm University of Lund Brown University Cornell University Princeton University |
| Doctoral advisor | Richard Courant |
| Doctoral students | Patrick Billingsley George Forsythe Robert Kurtz Henry McKean Lawrence Shepp Hale Trotter Benjamin Weiss David A. Freedman |
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William "Vilim" Feller (July 7, 1906 – January 14, 1970) was a famous Croatian-American mathematician. He was born Vilibald Srećko Feller and became well-known for his work in probability theory.
Contents
Early Life and Education
William Feller was born in Zagreb, which is now in Croatia. His mother, Ida Oemichen-Perc, was Catholic. His father, Eugen Viktor Feller, was a chemist. Eugen Feller created a famous product called Elsa fluid, named after his own mother.
William's first name, Vilibald, was chosen by his mother because of the saint's day on his birthday. He later changed his name to William.
His Work and Contributions
Feller started teaching at the University of Kiel in Germany in 1928. In 1933, he left Germany because of the political situation and moved to Copenhagen, Denmark. He also taught in Sweden, in cities like Stockholm and Lund.
In 1939, Feller moved to the United States. He became a US citizen in 1944. He taught at Brown University and Cornell University. In 1950, he became a professor at Princeton University.
William Feller wrote many important papers and two books. His work covered different areas of mathematics, including mathematical analysis, geometry, and differential equations. He was especially famous for his work in mathematical statistics and probability theory.
Many people consider Feller one of the most important probabilists of the 20th century. He helped make probability theory a major part of mathematical studies in Sweden and the United States. His two-volume textbook on probability theory is considered one of the best ever written. Feller also helped create research groups that studied the advanced theory of probability.
Key Discoveries and Ideas
Many ideas in probability are named after William Feller. These include Feller processes and the Lindeberg–Feller theorem. He made important contributions to areas like renewal theory, random walks, and diffusion processes.
Feller was also one of the first editors for the journal Mathematical Reviews.
Important Books
- An Introduction to Probability Theory and its Applications, Volume I, 3rd edition (1968)
- An Introduction to Probability Theory and its Applications, Volume II, 2nd edition (1971)
Awards and Recognition
William Feller received many honors for his work:
- In 1949, he became a Fellow of the American Statistical Association.
- He was chosen to be a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 1958.
- In 1960, he joined the United States National Academy of Sciences.
- He became a member of the American Philosophical Society in 1966.
- In 1969, Feller won the National Medal of Science, which is a very high award in the United States for science.
- He was also the president of the Institute of Mathematical Statistics.
See also
- Feller condition
- Beta distribution
- Compound Poisson distribution
- Gillespie algorithm
- Kolmogorov equations
- Poisson point process
- Stability (probability)
- St. Petersburg paradox
- Stochastic process
