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Josip PlemeljMathematician
Date of Birth: 11.12.1873
Country:  Austria |
Content:
- Early Life and Education
- Career in Academia
- University of Chernivtsi
- Political and Academic Upheaval
- Foundation of the University of Ljubljana
- Retirement and Legacy
- Scientific Contributions
- Awards and Honors
- Richard Lieben Prize from the University of Vienna (1912)
- Honorary doctorate from the University of Ljubljana (1963)
Early Life and Education
Josip Plemelj was born into a modest carpenter's family in the small town of Bled, Austria-Hungary (now Slovenia). Despite his humble beginnings, he displayed an exceptional aptitude for mathematics from an early age. He completed his primary education in his hometown and excelled at the secondary school in Ljubljana, where he mastered the entire high school mathematics curriculum in just four years.
During his high school years, Plemelj also developed a keen interest in other natural sciences, particularly astronomy. He studied celestial mechanics both theoretically and practically, spending countless nights observing the stars and planets.
In 1894, Plemelj graduated from high school and enrolled in the Faculty of Natural Sciences at the University of Vienna. There, he excelled under the tutelage of renowned lecturers such as Gustav Ritter von Escherich, Leopold Bernhard Gegenbauer, Franz Mertens, Ludwig Boltzmann, and Edmund Weiss. Plemelj completed his doctoral dissertation, titled "On Linear Homogeneous Differential Equations with Constant Periodic Coefficients," in 1898, earning his doctorate degree.
Career in Academia
University of Vienna and GermanyAfter obtaining his doctorate, Plemelj continued his academic pursuits in Germany. He studied at the University of Berlin (1899-1900) and then at the University of Göttingen (1900-1901).
Upon his return to Vienna, Plemelj was appointed as a private lecturer at the University of Vienna in 1902. In 1906, he became an associate professor at the Vienna Technical University.
University of Chernivtsi
In 1907, Plemelj was appointed as an associate professor at the University of Chernivtsi (then known as Franz Josef University of Chernivtsi), and in 1908, he became a full professor of mathematics. He served as the Dean of the Faculty of Philosophy from 1912 to 1913.
During his tenure at Chernivtsi, Plemelj made significant contributions to the development of mathematics in the region. He became a renowned member of the German Mathematical Society and received prestigious awards for his research in integral equations and theory.
Political and Academic Upheaval
In 1917, due to his political views, Plemelj was forced by the Austrian government to leave Chernivtsi and relocated to Moravia (now the Czech Republic). With the end of World War I, the Austro-Hungarian Empire was dissolved, and Chernivtsi became part of Romania.
Foundation of the University of Ljubljana
In 1918, the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes was established (later becoming Yugoslavia in 1929). The Slovenian government appointed Plemelj to a commission to establish a Slovenian university in Ljubljana.
The University of Ljubljana was originally founded in 1595, but its re-establishment as a Slovenian university was a significant step towards Slovenia's independence. Plemelj became its first rector in 1919 and was also appointed as a professor of mathematics in the Faculty of Humanities and Mathematics.
Retirement and Legacy
Plemelj retired in 1957 at the age of 83. He passed away in Ljubljana on May 22, 1967, at the age of 94. He was buried in his hometown of Bled, where a memorial room in his former house commemorates his life and legacy as one of Slovenia's most distinguished mathematicians.
Scientific Contributions
Plemelj published over 30 scientific papers in renowned journals, including "Monatshefte fuer Mathematik und Fisik," "Sitzungsberichte der kaiserlichen Akademie der Wissenschaften" in Vienna, and "Jahresbericht der deutschen Mathematikervereinigung."
He also authored several textbooks, including "Theory of Analytic Functions," "Differential and Integral Equations: Theory and Applications," and "Algebra and Number Theory."
Awards and Honors
Plemelj received numerous awards and honors for his contributions to mathematics, including:
Prince Jablonowski Prize from the Scientific Society of Leipzig (1911)
Richard Lieben Prize from the University of Vienna (1912)
Corresponding member of JAZU (Zagreb, Croatia) (1923)Corresponding member of SANU (Belgrade, Serbia) (1930)
Full member of SAZU (Ljubljana, Slovenia) (1938)
Nagrada Award for research in Slovenia (1954)
Corresponding member of the Bavarian Academy of Sciences in Munich (1954)
Honorary doctorate from the University of Ljubljana (1963)
Honorary member of ZDMFAJ (Yugoslav Union of Mathematicians, Physicists, and Astronomers) (1949)
Plemelj's legacy as an influential mathematician continues to inspire generations of students and researchers in Slovenia and beyond.
