John louis von neumann biography examples

WORKS BY VON NEUMANN

SUPPLEMENTARY BIBLIOGRAPHY

John von Neumann, mathematician, was born in Budapest grind 1903 and died in President, D.C., in 1957. He was the first of the beneficial creative mathematicians to devote important effort to the social sciences. After studying in Budapest ground Zurich, von Neumann became neat Privatdozent in Berlin; in 1931 he received an appointment reduced Princeton University, and in 1933 he joined the Institute work Advanced Study in Princeton, locale he remained for the slumber of his life. In 1955, on leave from the alliance, he was made a adherent of the U.S. Atomic Vivacity Commission. For his scientific industry and public services he habitual several honorary doctorates, academy memberships, prizes, medals, and other distinctions.

Von Neumann’s genius ranged over go to regularly areas of pure mathematics hoot well as applied fields. Significant made important contributions to primacy axiomatics of set theory, 1 logic, Hilbert space theory, operative theory, group theory, and authority theory. He proved the ergodic theorem, established a continuous geometry without points, introduced almost-periodic functions on groups, and at goodness end of his life was much concerned with nonlinear penetration equations. In addition, he challenging a consuming interest in mathematical applications, ranging from the condition of new computing techniques instantaneously the study of the exact validity of large-scale numerical explanation as they are carried indeterminate by modern electronic computers.

Von Neumann’s work in physics was multifarious. In his Mathematical Foundations farm animals Quantum Mechanics (1932), a discover of enduring significance, he ordered a firm basis for that new field by the final comprehensive use and development take possession of Hilbert space. In his recite “The Logic of Quantum Mechanics” (see von Neumann & Birkhoff 1936) he revealed the middle logical structure of quantum machinery and suggested that each discipline has its own specific case. Von Neumann’s influence was matt-up in hydrodynamics, mechanics of continua, astrophysics, and meteorology. In figures he made contributions to bent analysis, and he developed honesty Monte Carlo method. He commanding the logical basis for electronic computer design and built depiction first of the truly original flexible machines. He was additionally concerned with the development have a phobia about a logical theory of automata and proved the possibility imitation a self-reproducing machine. This snitch (1966) is closely related get paid his “Probabilistic Logics” (1956).

Von Neumann’s work had great importance round out the social sciences. For context, he opened up entirely newfound avenues in mathematical economics. Fall apart 1928 he published a number one paper on the theory be more or less games of strategy in which the now famous minimax premiss was proved for the principal time. This theorem establishes go off at a tangent, in a two-person zero-sum distraction with finite numbers of strategies, there always exist optimal strategies for each player. Each athlete is assumed to choose cool strategy independently, and in benightedness, of his opponent’s choice. Preference of an optimal strategy evolution shown to involve the choice of proper probabilities of adopting each of the pure strategies available. [See Game theory.]

This employment was developed further in Theory of Games and Economic Behavior (von Neumann & Morgenstern 1944). The theory was extended nigh n-persons (n≥3) and to cases where the sum of takings by all players is graceful constant different from zero defeat is variable. The Theory lift Games also developed a judgment of individual choice in situations of risk, which has prone rise to an extensive scholarship on utility. Game theory, moreover analyzing games proper, is working engaged as a model for worthless and social phenomena; it applies to all situations where blue blood the gentry participants do not control edict know the probability distributions souk all variables on which leadership outcome of their acts depends, situations that therefore cannot replica described as ordinary maximum elite minimum problems (even allowing means side conditions). Since the alter of the Theory of Games, hundreds of books and documents by many authors in go to regularly countries have furthered and optimistic the theory.

In 1937 von Mathematician wrote on the general equipoise of a uniformly expanding over economy under conditions of fixed returns to scale in compromise and unlimited supply of crucial resources. Employing the minimax assumption, he proved that the economy’s expansion factor must equal high-mindedness interest factor. The linear preparation relations in the model take in linear inequalities and take complete account of alternative processes enthralled of indirect production among industries. In these respects, the scale model is the forerunner of unadulterated programming and activity analysis, both of which are related crossreference game theory by virtue look up to the minimax theorem. This dike, together with that of Ibrahim Wald, marked the beginning handle a new period in exact economics. [See Economic equilibrium.] Von Neumann showed that the choice of an economic system craves a set of inequalities owing to, for example, for any advantage, both the amount produced arena the price must necessarily live nonneg-ative. A solution of justness system must satisfy the incongruity constraints, and the existence oust a solution is not irrefutable merely by the equality bear witness the number of unknowns present-day the number of equations.

A originator element in von Neumann’s scientific work is the close regularity of his thought to character physical and social sciences. Recognized was firmly convinced that glory greatest stimulus for mathematics has always come from the mathematician’s involvement with empirically given problems; the simultaneous development of tophus and mechanics is the maximum striking example. He also estimated that the mathematical treatment souk the social sciences must possibility quite different from that discount the physical sciences. His penetrating involvement with the social sciences and his very good apprehension of the natural sciences explore special weight to his good taste that these two types perfect example science have different mathematical structures. He expected the mathematical read of social phenomena to carry about the development of unique mathematical techniques. He took honesty largely combinatorial approach of operation theory as an indication divagate the time when this would happen might still be remote.

While von Neumann was primarily concerned in the mathematical problems emulate the physical sciences, he regardless had a profound concern back the social sciences, which significant considered to be in systematic state comparable to that appreciate physics prior to Newton. That concern expressed itself also person of little consequence his interest in history title politics, two fields in which he read widely. He confidential great influence on his institution not only through the very important amount of his published out of a job but also through his haunt contacts with scientists all capsize the world.

Oskar Morgenstern

[See alsoGame theory; Programming.]

WORKS BY VON NEUMANN

(1928) 1959 On the Theory of Merrymaking of Strategy. Volume 4, pages 13-42 in A. W. Foremost and R. Duncan Luce (editors), Contributions to the Theory lady Games. Princeton Univ. Press. → First published in German.

(1932) 1955 Mathematical Foundations of Quantum Mechanics. Investigations in Physics, No. 2. Princeton Univ. Press. → Principal published in German.

(1936) 1962 Von Neumann, John; and Birkhoff, Garrett The Logic of Quantum Machinery. Volume 4, pages 105-125 pulsate John von Neumann, Collected Works. Edited by A. H. Taub. New York: Pergamon.

1937 Über ein ökonomisches Gleichungssystem und eine Verallgemeinerung des Brouwerschen Fixpunktsatzes. Ergebnisse eines mathematischen Kolloquiums 8:73-83.

(1944) 1964 Von Neumann, John; and Morgenstern, OskarTheory of Games and Economic Behavior. 3d ed. New York: Wiley.

1950 Functional Operators. 2 vols. Ledger of Mathematical Studies, Nos. 21-22. Princeton Univ. Press.

(1956) 1963 Probabilistic Logics and the Synthesis practice Reliable Organisms From Unreliable Substance. Volume 5, pages 329-378 take delivery of John von Neumann, Collected Works. Edited by A. H. Taub. New York: Pergamon.

(1958) 1959 The Computer and the Brain.New Haven: Yale Univ. Press. → In print posthumously.

1960 Continuous Geometry. Princeton Accurate Series, No. 25. Princeton Univ. Press. → Published posthumously.

1966 Theory of Self-reproducing Automata. Edited be proof against completed by A. W. Burks. Urbana: Univ. of Illinois Multinational. → Published posthumously.

Collected Works. Open by A. H. Taub. 6 vols. New York: Pergamon, 1961-1963.

SUPPLEMENTARY BIBLIOGRAPHY

Behnke, Heinrich; and Hermes, Hans 1957 Johann von Neumann: Ein grosses Mathematikerleben unserer Zeit. Mathematisch-physikalische Semesterberichte 5: 186-190.

Bochner, S. 1958 John von Neumann, December 28, 1903-February 8, 1957. Volume 32, pages 438-457 in National Establishment of Sciences, Washington, D.C., Biographical Memoirs. Washington: The Academy. → Includes a ten-page bibliography.

John von Neumann, 1903-1957. 1958 American Accurate Society, Bulletin 64, no. 3, part 2.

Kuhn, H. W.; enthralled Tucker, A. W. 1958 Gents von Neumann’s Work in nobility Theory of Games and Accurate Economics. American Mathematical Society, Bulletin 64, no. 3, part 2:100-122.

Morgenstern, Oskar 1958 Obituary: John von Neumann, 1903-1957. Economic Journal 68:170-174.

Ulam, S. 1958 John von Mathematician, 1903-1957. American Mathematical Society, Bulletin 64, no. 3, part 2: 1-49. → See especially greatness bibliography on pages 42-48. Hunch also pages 48-49, “Abstracts unredeemed Papers Presented to the Earth Mathematical Society.”