Leopold Vietoris
Leopold Vietoris on his 110th birthday
Born(1891-06-04)4 June 1891
Bad Radkersburg, Styria
Austria-Hungary
Died(2002-04-09)9 April 2002
(aged 110 years, 309 days)
Innsbruck, Tyrol
Austria
NationalityAustrian
Alma materTU Wien
University of Vienna
Known forContributions to topology
Being a supercentenarian
Spouse(s)Klara Riccabona (m. 1928–1935) (her death)
Maria Josefa Vincentia Vietoris, born von Riccabona zu Reichenfels (m. 1936–2002) (her death)
Children6
Scientific career
FieldsMathematics
InstitutionsUniversity of Innsbruck
Doctoral advisorsGustav Ritter von Escherich
Wilhelm Wirtinger

Leopold Vietoris (/viːˈtɔːrɪs/; German: [viːˈtoːʀɪs]; 4 June 1891 – 9 April 2002) was an Austrian mathematician, World War I veteran and supercentenarian. He was born in Radkersburg and died in Innsbruck.

He was known for his contributions to topology—notably the Mayer–Vietoris sequence—and other fields of mathematics, his interest in mathematical history and for being a keen alpinist.

Biography

Vietoris studied mathematics and geometry at the Vienna University of Technology.[1] He was drafted in 1914 in World War I and was wounded in September that same year.[1] On 4 November 1918, one week before the Armistice of Villa Giusti, he became an Italian prisoner of war.[1] After returning to Austria, he attended the University of Vienna, where he earned his PhD in 1920, with a thesis written under the supervision of Gustav von Escherich and Wilhelm Wirtinger.[1][2]

In autumn 1928 he married his first wife Klara Riccabona, who later died while giving birth to their sixth daughter.[1] In 1936 he married Klara's sister, Maria Riccabona.[1]

Vietoris was survived by his six daughters, 17 grandchildren, and 30 great-grandchildren.[3]

He lends his name to a few mathematical concepts:

Vietoris remained scientifically active in his later years, even writing one paper on trigonometric sums at the age of 103.[4]

Vietoris lived to be 110 years and 309 days old, and became the oldest verified Austrian man ever.[5]

Decorations and awards

Notes

  1. ^ a b c d e f Reitberger, Heinrich (November 2002). "Leopold Vietoris (1891–2002)" (PDF). American Mathematical Society. Retrieved 5 September 2003.
  2. ^ Leopold Vietoris at the Mathematics Genealogy Project
  3. ^ "Professor Dr. Leopold Vietoris" (PDF). Geo Imagining. Retrieved 11 October 2009.
  4. ^ Reitberger, Heinrich (November 2002). "Leopold Vietoris (1891–2002)" (PDF). Notices of the American Mathematical Society. 49 (10): 1235.
  5. ^ "Verified Supercentenarians (Ranked By Age) Gerontology Research Group". 1 January 2014. Retrieved 28 February 2019.

References

External links

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