David Hilbert
David Hilbert (/ˈhɪlbərt/; German: [ˈdaːvɪt ˈhɪlbɐt]; 23 January 1862 – 14 February 1943) was a German mathematician and one of the most influential mathematicians of the 19th and early 20th centuries. Hilbert discovered and developed a broad range of fundamental ideas including invariant theory, the calculus of variations, commutative algebra, algebraic number theory, the foundations of geometry, spectral theory of operators and its application to integral equations, mathematical physics, and the foundations of mathematics (particularly proof theory).
David Hilbert | |
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Hilbert in 1912 | |
| Born | 23 January 1862 Königsberg or Wehlau, Kingdom of Prussia |
| Died | 14 February 1943 (aged 81) Göttingen, Nazi Germany |
| Education | University of Königsberg (PhD) |
| Known for | Hilbert's basis theorem Hilbert's Nullstellensatz Hilbert's axioms Hilbert's problems Hilbert's program Einstein–Hilbert action Hilbert space Hilbert system Epsilon calculus |
| Spouse | Käthe Jerosch |
| Children | Franz (b. 1893) |
| Awards | Lobachevsky Prize (1903) Bolyai Prize (1910) ForMemRS |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Mathematics, Physics and Philosophy |
| Institutions | University of Königsberg Göttingen University |
| Thesis | On Invariant Properties of Special Binary Forms, Especially of Spherical Functions (1885) |
| Doctoral advisor | Ferdinand von Lindemann |
| Doctoral students |
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| Other notable students | Edward Kasner John von Neumann Carl Gustav Hempel |
Hilbert adopted and defended Georg Cantor's set theory and transfinite numbers. In 1900, he presented a collection of problems that set a course for mathematical research of the 20th century.
Hilbert and his students contributed to establishing rigor and developed important tools used in modern mathematical physics. Hilbert was one of the founders of proof theory and mathematical logic.