Birkhoff

George David Birkhoff

Born: 21 March 1884 in Overisel, Michigan, USA
Died: 12 Nov 1944 in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA

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George Birkhoff taught at Wisconsin Madison, Princeton and Harvard. His main work was on dynamics and ergodic theory. His ergodic theorem transformed the Maxwell-Boltzmann kinetic theory of gases into a rigorous principle through the use of Lebesgue measure. He also worked on linear differential equations and difference equations.

Birkhoff proved Poincaré's Last Geometric Theorem , a special case of the 3-body problem, in 1913. He also studied the foundations of relativity and quantum mechanics. Birkhoff also did important work on the four colour theorem. He developed a mathematical theory of aesthetics which he applied to art, music and poetry. Among his works are Relativity and Modern Physics (1923), Dynamical Systems (1928), Aesthetic Measure (1933), and Basic Geometry (1941).

References elsewhere in this archive:

Tell me about Birkhoff's work on the four colour theorem and on orbits and gravitation

References:

  1. Dictionary of Scientific Biography
  2. Biography in Encyclopaedia Britannica
  3. Collected Mathematical Works of George David Birkhoff (Providence R.I., 1950).
  4. S Diner, D Fargue and G Lochak (eds.), Dynamical systems : a renewal of mechanism : centennial of George David Birkhoff (Singapore, 1986). 
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JOC/EFR February 1996