Walter Ledermann

{{Short description|German and British mathematician (1911–2009)}}

{{Infobox scientist

|name = Walter Ledermann

|image = Walter Ledermann.jpg

|image_size =

|birth_name =

|birth_date = {{Birth date|df=yes|1911|3|18}}

|birth_place = Berlin, German Empire

|death_date = {{Death date and age|df=yes|2009|5|22|1911|3|18}}

|death_place = London, England

|nationality = German, British

|other_names =

|known_for = Mathematics, matrix theory, group theory, homological algebra, number theory, statistics, stochastic processes

|alma_mater = University of St Andrews

| thesis_title = Classifying the Stabilizer of a Pencil{{MathGenealogy|id=97140}}.

| thesis_url =

| thesis_year = 1936

| doctoral_advisor = Herbert Turnbull

|workplaces = University of Edinburgh
University of Dundee
University of St Andrews
University of Manchester
University of Sussex

| doctoral_students = {{plainlist|1=

Thomas J. Laffey
Carol Alexander{{cite web | url=https://english.phbs.pku.edu.cn/2019/scholar_0311/113.html | title=Carol Alexander - Visiting Professors - Peking University HSBC Business School(PHBS) }}}}

}}

Walter Ledermann FRSE (18 March 1911, Berlin, Germany – 22 May 2009, London, England) was a German and British mathematician who worked on matrix theory, group theory, homological algebra, number theory, statistics, and stochastic processes. He was elected to the Royal Society of Edinburgh in 1944.

Education

Ledermann studied at the Köllnisches Gymnasium and Leibniz Gymnasium in Berlin, from which he graduated in 1928 at the age of 17.{{Cite web|title=Walter Ledermann (1911 - 2009)|url=http://mathshistory.st-andrews.ac.uk/Biographies/Ledermann.html|website=mathshistory.st-andrews.ac.uk|access-date=2020-05-18}} He went on to study at the University of Berlin, but due to the rise of Hitler and antisemitism, was forced to flee Germany shortly after he completed his undergraduate studies in 1934. Through the International Student Service in Geneva, he was able to obtain a scholarship to study at the University of St Andrews in Scotland. His doctoral work at St Andrews was supervised by Herbert Turnbull. He was awarded his PhD in 1936. Whilst working at the University of Edinburgh with Professor Sir Godfrey Thomson, Ledermann was granted a DSc in 1940 for his work with Thomson on intelligence testing.{{Cite web|title=Professor Walter Ledermann: Highly respected mathematician with an|url=http://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/professor-walter-ledermann-highly-respected-mathematician-with-an-eclectic-range-of-interests-1693949.html|date=2009-06-01|website=The Independent|language=en|access-date=2020-05-18}}{{Cite book|last=Ledermann|first=W.|url=http://hdl.handle.net/1842/32490|title=Some mathematical problems to the factorial analysis of human ability|year=1940|hdl=1842/32490}}

Career

He taught at the universities of Dundee, St Andrews, Manchester, and finally Sussex. At Sussex, Ledermann was appointed professor in 1965, where he continued to teach until he was 89.[http://www.sussex.ac.uk/staff/newsandevents/newsarchive?id=853 Obituary – Professor Walter Ledermann] on Sussex University site He wrote various mathematics textbooks.

Publications

{{Citation | last1=Ledermann | first1=Walter | title=Introduction to the Theory of Finite Groups | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=afFUAAAAYAAJ | publisher=Oliver and Boyd, Edinburgh and London |mr=0028309 | year=1949}}; 2nd edn. 1953; 3rd edn. 1957; 4th rev. edn. 1961
{{Citation | last1=Ledermann | first1=Walter | author-mask= 2 | title=Complex numbers | publisher=Routledge and Kegan Paul, London | series=Library of Mathematics |mr=0118652 | year=1960}}
{{Citation | last1 =Ledermann | first1=Walter | author-mask=2 | title=Integral calculus | publisher=Dover | year=1964}}
{{Citation | last1 =Ledermann | first1=Walter | author-mask=2 | title=Multiple integrals | location=London | publisher=Routledge and Paul | year=1966}}; also published 1966 (New York, Dover)
{{Citation | last1 =Ledermann | first1=Walter | author-mask=2 | title=Introduction to group theory | publisher=Oliver and Boyd | year=1973}}; 2nd edn. 1996 Addison-Wesley
{{Citation | last1=Ledermann | first1=Walter | author-mask=2 | title=Introduction to group characters | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ly88AAAAIAAJ | publisher=Cambridge University Press | isbn=978-0-521-21486-5 |mr=0460424 | year=1977}}; 2nd edn. 1987
{{Citation |title=Encounters of a Mathematician |last=Ledermann |first=Walter |author-mask=2 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=TngVAgAAQBAJ |year=2009 |publisher=Lulu.com |publication-date=2011-09-28 |df=dmy |isbn=9781409282679}}
{{Citation | editor=Lederman, Walter | title=Handbook of applicable mathematics | publisher=Wiley | year=1980}};{{cite journal|author=Gardiner, A.|author-link=Tony Gardiner|title=Review of Handbook of Applicable Mathematics; Volume I|journal=The Mathematical Gazette|date=October 1981|volume=65|issue=433|pages=225–227|jstor=3617156|doi=10.2307/3617156|s2cid=125178399 }} 10 editions from 1980 to 1991

Walter Ledermann

Education

Career

Publications

References

Further reading