Rolf Nevanlinna

Rolf Herman Nevanlinna (né Neovius; 22 October 1895 – 28 May 1980) was a Finnish mathematician who made significant contributions to complex analysis. He is best known for creating what we now call Nevanlinna theory, a special area of math that studies meromorphic functions. These are special kinds of functions that can be used to solve many problems in mathematics.

Nevanlinna's work helped mathematicians understand how functions behave when they get very large or when they have certain types of gaps or "poles" in their values. His ideas have been used in many areas of math and science ever since.

Born in Finland in 1895, Nevanlinna lived through many important changes in the world, including two world wars. Despite these challenges, he continued his work in mathematics and became a respected teacher and thinker. He passed away in 1980, but his ideas still influence mathematicians today.

Background

Rolf Herman Nevanlinna was born as Rolf Herman Neovius in 1895. In 1906, his family changed their last name to Nevanlinna. Many members of his family were also involved in mathematics and science. His grandfather and uncle were both teachers and professors, and his father was a physicist and mathematician.

After his father completed his studies, he married and moved to Joensuu, where he taught physics. There, Rolf and his three siblings were born. Later, Rolf would grow up to become an important mathematician himself.

Education

Rolf Nevanlinna started school at age 7 but found it boring, so he was homeschooled. When his family moved to Helsinki in 1903, he attended a grammar school where he studied French, German, Finnish, and Swedish. He also loved music, playing the violin and enjoying the works of famous composers like Bach, Beethoven, and Sibelius.

Nevanlinna later attended Helsinki High School, where he focused on classics and mathematics. He graduated in 1913 and began studying at the University of Helsinki, earning his Master of Philosophy in mathematics in 1917. He completed his doctoral thesis on complex analysis in 1919, becoming a Doctor of Philosophy on June 2 of that year.

Career

Rolf Nevanlinna became a school teacher after earning his doctorate in 1919 because there were no university positions available. Later, he worked for an insurance company before becoming a Docent of Mathematics at the University of Helsinki in 1922. During this time, he developed what is now known as Nevanlinna theory.

Nevanlinna’s most important work was in the value distribution theory of meromorphic functions, building on earlier results by Émile Picard. His theory includes two Main Theorems that describe how functions behave. During the Winter War, he helped improve artillery firing tables for the Finnish Army. Later, he taught at the University of Zurich and was one of the first Academicians in the Academy of Finland. He supervised many students, including Lars Ahlfors, a recipient of the Fields Medal. Nevanlinna received honorary degrees from many universities and was honored with several awards for his contributions to mathematics.

Administrative activities

Rolf Nevanlinna played important roles in mathematics and education. Starting in 1954, he led the committee that began Finland’s first computer project. He also served as President of the International Mathematical Union from 1959 to 1963 and led the International Congress of Mathematicians in 1962. In 1964, with help from President Urho Kekkonen, he helped reorganize the Academy of Finland. Later, from 1965 to 1970, he was Chancellor of the University of Turku.

Political activities

Rolf Nevanlinna did not take an active role in politics, but he had sympathies toward certain right-wing groups and showed support for Nazi Germany because of his half-German parentage. This led him to accept a teaching position at the University of Göttingen during a time when many professors were being dismissed.

Later, Nevanlinna agreed to help improve relations between Finnish soldiers and their German commanders, feeling it was his duty. Despite his earlier views, he helped bring together mathematicians from many countries after World War II, allowing them to share their ideas again.

IMU Abacus Medal (formerly Nevanlinna Prize)

In 1981, the International Mathematical Union created a special prize for theoretical computer science, similar to the famous Fields Medal. They named it after the Finnish mathematician Rolf Nevanlinna, calling it the Rolf Nevanlinna Prize. This award was given every four years at big math meetings.

Later, in 2018, the group decided to change the name. Starting in 2022, the prize is known as the IMU Abacus Medal instead.