Leopold Vietoris
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.
Leopold Vietoris | |
|---|---|
 Leopold Vietoris on his 110th birthday | |
| Born | 4 June 1891 |
| Died | 9 April 2002 (aged 110 years, 309 days) |
| Nationality | Austrian |
| Alma mater | TU Wien University of Vienna |
| Known for | Contributions 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) |
| Children | 6 |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Mathematics |
| Institutions | University of Innsbruck |
| Doctoral advisors | Gustav Ritter von Escherich Wilhelm Wirtinger |
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 topology (see topological space)
- Vietoris homology (see homology theory)
- Mayer–Vietoris sequence
- Vietoris–Begle mapping theorem
- Vietoris–Rips complex
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
- Austrian Decoration for Science and Art (1973)
- Grand Gold Decoration for Services to the Republic of Austria (1981)
- Honorary member of the German Mathematical Society (1992)
Notes
- Reitberger, Heinrich (November 2002). "Leopold Vietoris (1891–2002)" (PDF). American Mathematical Society. Retrieved 5 September 2003.
- Leopold Vietoris at the Mathematics Genealogy Project
- "Professor Dr. Leopold Vietoris" (PDF). Geo Imagining. Retrieved 11 October 2009.
- Reitberger, Heinrich (November 2002). "Leopold Vietoris (1891–2002)" (PDF). Notices of the American Mathematical Society. 49 (10): 1235.
- "Verified Supercentenarians (Ranked By Age) Gerontology Research Group". 1 January 2014. Retrieved 28 February 2019.
References
- Weibel, Peter, ed. (2005). Beyond Art: A Third Culture: A Comparative Study in Cultures, Art and Science in 20th Century Austria and Hungary. Springer Science & Business Media. p. 260. ISBN 978-3-211-24562-0.