Jump to content

Hermann Brunn

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Karl Hermann Brunn
The Borromean rings are the simplest Brunnian link.
Born1 August 1862
Died20 September 1939 (1939-09-21) (aged 77)
NationalityGerman
Alma materLudwig Maximilian University of Munich
Known forConvex geometry, knot theory
Scientific career
Thesis Über Ovale und Eiflächen  (1887)
More complex Brunnian link of six loops, based on illustration in Brunn's 1892 paper

Karl Hermann Brunn (1 August 1862 – 20 September 1939) was a German mathematician, known for his work in convex geometry (see Brunn–Minkowski inequality) and in knot theory. Brunnian links are named after him, as his 1892 article "Über Verkettung" included examples of such links.

Life and work

[edit]

Hermann Brunn was born in Rome, and grew up in Munich.[1] He studied mathematics and physics at the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, graduating in 1887 with the thesis Über Ovale und Eiflächen (About ovals and eggforms).[2] He habilitated in 1889.

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Kjeldsen, T.H. (2009). "Egg-forms and measure-bodies: different mathematical practices in the early history of the modern theory of convexity". Sci. Context. 22 (85–113): 85–113. doi:10.1017/S0269889708002081. S2CID 122788987.
  2. ^ Brunn, H. (1887). Über Ovale und Eiflächen. Munich: Akademische Buchdruckerei von F. Straub.