August Gutzmer

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August Gutzmer

Karl Friedrich August Gutzmer (born February 2, 1860 in Neu-Roddahn , Ostprignitz ; † May 10, 1924 in Halle / Saale) was a German mathematician .

Life

Gutzmer was the son of the master carpenter Friedrich Gutzmer and his wife Wilhelmine Schultze. From 1868 Gutzmer lived in Berlin with his family . He attended the first classes of the Neu-Roddahn primary school and then switched to one in Berlin. At the age of 10 Gutzmer came to the Friedrichswerder Trade School in Berlin and attended it until 1881.

In the fall of that year, Gutzmer received his diploma there. Here he was already exempt from gymnastics due to illness. From 1881 to 1884 he attended lectures in mathematics and physics at the University of Berlin without being matriculated. During these years he made up his Latinum ; on April 3, 1884, he successfully passed his matriculation examination as an external student at the Sophien-Realgymnasium in Berlin.

Three weeks later, on April 25, 1884, Gutzmer matriculated at the University of Berlin and studied until the winter semester of 1886/87. Among others, Leopold Kronecker , Karl Weierstrass and Lazarus Fuchs were his teachers. This time was interrupted by his military service, which Gutzmer did from October 1, 1894 to January 9, 1895 as a one-year volunteer at the “2. Guard Regiment zu Berlin "performed. During this time he became so ill that he was disabled for life.

Through the mediation of his teacher Karl Weierstrass, Gutzmer received a call to the University of Chicago , Ill. In 1892. However, he turned it down and received his doctorate on January 13, 1893 under Albert Wangerin on differential equations . At Easter of the same year, Gutzmer married the widow of a grammar school director, Helene von Bannasch, from Glowe (near Friedland in what was then the Beeskow-Storkow district ). The following year he managed his wife's estate, sold it at Easter 1894 and settled again in Berlin.

From April 1, 1894 to March 31, 1896 Gutzmer worked as an assistant at the Technical University in Berlin. As such, he became a member of the Association of German Mathematicians on September 28th . On May 25, 1894, daughter Irene was born, who would later celebrate success as an opera singer.

On April 23, 1896 Gutzmer was able to complete his habilitation with a thesis on differential equations and from that day until March 31, 1899 he worked as a private lecturer at the University of Halle . On March 9, he was appointed associate professor at the University of Jena , but he was not paid until April 1, 1899. With effect from January 28, 1900, Gutzmer was promoted to full professor of mathematics and was as such until 2. August 1905 active in Jena.

When Gutzmer decided to refuse a promotion to the ministry, students and colleagues thanked him with a big torchlight procession through the city. In 1900 he was accepted as a member of the Leopoldina (German Academy of Natural Sciences). From 1901 Gutzmer was the sole responsible editor of the monthly activity report of the mathematicians' association.

Between 1904 and 1907 Gutzmer was chairman of the commission for mathematics and science education. With effect from August 3, 1905, he was appointed full professor for mathematics at the University of Halle-Wittenberg (his first salary was not paid to him until October 1). Here he increasingly represented his colleague Georg Cantor .

In addition, from 1908 to 1913 he was chairman of the "German Committee for Mathematics and Science Education". On December 17th he was given the title of Privy Councilor and about 10 weeks later he was appointed the 219th Rector of the University of Halle-Wittenberg.

In 1915 Gutzmer turned down a second term as rector for health reasons. His lectures were reduced to a minimum as a result of the First World War, as a large number of students had to go to the front. On December 1, 1921, the Leopoldina elected him its 18th President; he held this office until the end of his life. His successor was Johannes Walther .

August Gutzmer died on May 10, 1924 in Halle / Saale at the age of 64. He found his final resting place in the city's Laurentius cemetery . As a grave of honor, this burial site is preserved and maintained to this day.

In his lectures Gutzmer a. a. with the theory of differential equations and unique analytic functions.

Honors

  • May 23, 1908 - Red Eagle Order 4th class
  • July 24, 1915 - Order of the Crown 3rd Class

Fonts

  • About certain higher order partial differential equations . Halle, Univ. Diss., 1893
  • On the theory of adjoint differential equations . Halle, habilitation thesis, 1896

literature

Web links

personal data
SURNAME Gutzmer, August
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Gutzmer, Carl August Friedrich
BRIEF DESCRIPTION German mathematician
DATE OF BIRTH February 2, 1860
PLACE OF BIRTH Neu-Roddahn , East Priegnitz
DATE OF DEATH May 10, 1924
Place of death Halle (Saale)