Richard Mises Mathematician and mechanic of Austrian origin Date of Birth: 19.04.1883 Country: USA

1. Biography of Richard von Mises
2. Education and Early Career
3. Academic Career and Contributions
4. Emigration and Later Career

Biography of Richard von Mises

Richard von Mises was an Austrian mathematician and mechanic who made significant contributions to the fields of fluid mechanics, aerodynamics, aeronautics, statistics, and probability theory. He was born in Lemberg, Austria-Hungary (now Lviv, Ukraine) to a family of technical experts. His father, Arthur Edler von Mises, was a doctor of technical sciences and worked as an expert for the Austrian State Railways.

Education and Early Career

Mises graduated from the Academic Gymnasium in Vienna in 1901 with honors in Latin and mathematics. He then pursued his higher education at the Vienna University of Technology, where he completed his studies in mathematics, physics, and engineering in 1905. After graduating, Mises worked as an assistant to German mathematician Georg Hamel in Brno (now Brno, Czech Republic). In 1908, he obtained his doctoral degree in Vienna with a dissertation on the determination of the mass of a flywheel in a crank-slider mechanism.

Academic Career and Contributions

Mises continued his academic career in Strasbourg, where he became a professor of applied mathematics in 1909 at the age of 26. He also acquired Prussian citizenship during this time. However, his plans to secure a teaching position at the Brno University of Technology were disrupted by the outbreak of World War I. Mises joined the Austro-Hungarian army as a test pilot and instructor, leveraging his expertise in aircraft design and actively participating in the development of advanced aircraft engines.

After the war, Mises became the head of the Department of Hydrodynamics and Aerodynamics at the Dresden University of Technology. In 1919, he became the director of the newly established Institute of Applied Mathematics at the University of Berlin, where he also held a professorship. In 1921, Mises founded the journal "Zeitschrift für Angewandte Mathematik und Mechanik" and served as its editor.

Emigration and Later Career

With the rise of the Nazi regime in 1933, Mises, who had Jewish roots, felt unsafe in Germany and decided to emigrate to Turkey. He became the head of the Department of Pure and Applied Mathematics at Istanbul University and played a crucial role in developing the field of mathematics in Turkey.

In 1939, following the death of Turkish President Kemal Atatürk and the resulting political uncertainty, Mises emigrated to the United States. In 1944, he became a professor of aerodynamics and applied mathematics at Harvard University. Mises continued his prolific research and teaching career, making significant contributions to the field of applied mathematics.

In 1950, Mises declined an honorary membership in the East German Academy of Sciences due to political reasons. Throughout his life, he remained an incredibly dynamic and versatile individual, excelling in various areas of technology. He was also recognized as an expert in the poetry of Rainer Maria Rilke.

Mises' work has had a lasting impact on the fields of mathematics, mechanics, and aerodynamics, solidifying his position as one of the most influential mathematicians of his time.