Scientist of the day - Hermann Minkowski

Hermann Minkowski was a renowned German mathematician. His contribution to the development of modern mathematics is immense. The development of the theory on the geometry of numbers is his well known work. He utilized this theory very skilfully in solving problems of number theory, mathematical physics and the theory of relativity. This geometric method helped him to understand the theory of continued fractions and to generalize it into an algorithm. Personalities like Albert Einstein were his student. Minkowski’s theory of four-dimensional space-time which is better known as “Minkowski space”, aims to prove that the special theory of relativity that Albert Einstein presented algebraically, can be understood geometrically also. He discussed about this theory through his book “Space and Time”. The works of Einstein and Minkowski establish the fact that space and time are closely interlinked. This theory of four-dimensional space-time later provided an inspiration for Einstein’s work on general relativity. In this context, it will not be out of place to mention that Hendrik Lorentz’s analysis of transformations of space and time was the inspiration of his idea of the unity of space and time. Besides pursuing his mathematical research, he taught mathematics at several prestigious universities such as University of Bonn, Konigsberg University and the University of Gottingen. 

Childhood & Early Life

Hermann Minkowski was born in Aleksotas, Kingdom of Poland on 22 June 1864 AD , as the son of Polish Jews parents Rachel and Lewin Minkowski. His father was a businessman.

Major Works

In 1896, he propounded his theory on geometry of numbers. This theory is applicable in functional analysis and Diophantine approximation. Through geometrical theory, he solved problems in number theory.

Awards & Achievements

In 1883, the French Academy of Sciences conferred him the Mathematics Prize for his manuscript on the theory of quadratic forms. Quadratic forms have wide usage in different branches of mathematics like linear algebra and number theories.

Personal Life & Legacy

• He got married to Auguste Adler in 1897. They had two daughters namely Lily and Ruth.
• He died unexpectedly of appendicitis at the age of 44 in Gottingen. To honour his contribution, the asteroid ‘12493 Minkowski’ and ‘M-matrices’ are named after him.
• After his death, renowned physicists like Max von Laue and Arnold Sommerfeld extended his idea of space and time. In 1911, Lau published a textbook on the special theory of relativity and it was the first textbook that used the formulation of Minowski.

Writer of the day - Ernest Hemingway

Ernest Hemingway was a Nobel Prize-winning American writer who touched the pinnacles of fame with his novel ‘The Old Man and the Sea’ which catapulted him to international glory. Over the course of his writing career, he published seven novels, six short story collections, and two non-fiction works which greatly influenced later generations of writers. A highly acclaimed writer, most of his works are considered classics of American literature. Born as the first son to well-educated and well-respected parents in Illinois, he had a comfortable childhood during which he developed a keen interest in reading and writing. As a school student he excelled in English and was a regular contributor to his school newspaper, ‘Trapeze and Tabula’. An athletic boy, he also took part in boxing, track and field, water polo, and football. He decided early on that he wanted a career in writing and started off as a journalist before becoming a writer of short-stories and novels. He went on to serve in World War I as an ambulance driver in the Italian Army before returning to America and establishing himself as a distinguished fiction writer. In spite of all his professional successes as a writer, Hemingway’s personal life was a constant struggle with numerous broken marriages and bouts of depression. Deeply troubled by his personal sufferings, he committed suicide in 1961. 

Childhood & Early Life

Ernest Miller Hemingway was born on July 21, 1899, in Oak Park, Illinois. His father, Clarence Edmonds Hemingway, was a physician, and his mother, Grace Hall-Hemingway, was a musician. Both his parents were greatly respected in their conservative community.

Awards & Achievements

• Ernest Hemingway was awarded a Bronze Star for his bravery during World War II in 1947.
• He won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1953 for the novel ‘The Old Man and the Sea’.
• In 1954, Hemingway was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature for "his mastery of the art of narrative, most recently demonstrated in ‘The Old Man and the Sea’, and for the influence that he has exerted on contemporary style”.

   

  Personal Life & Legacy
• Ernest Hemingway’s final years were marked by ill health and depression. He was treated for numerous conditions such as high blood pressure and liver disease, and also struggled with deteriorating mental health. He became increasingly suicidal in 1961 and shot himself to death on the morning of July 2, 1961.