Jozef Maximilián Petzval
| Joseph Petzval | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born |
January 6, 1807 Szepesbéla/Zipser Bela, Kingdom of Hungary, Austrian Empire (today Spišská Belá, Slovakia) |
| Died | September 19, 1891 (aged 84) Vienna, Austria-Hungary |
| Citizenship | Kingdom of Hungary |
| Nationality | German-Hungarian |
| Fields | Physics |
| Institutions |
University of Budapest University of Vienna |
| Known for | Geometrical optics, photography, cinematography |
Joseph Petzval (January 6, 1807 – September 19, 1891) was a mathematician, inventor, and physicist best known for his work in optics. He was born in the town of Zipser Bela in the Kingdom of Hungary (now Spišská Belá in Slovakia).
Petzval studied and later lectured at the Institutum Geometricum (currently Budapest University of Technology and Economics) in Buda (today part of Budapest). He headed the Institute of Practical Geometry and Hydrology/Architecture between 1841 and 1848. Later in life, he accepted an appointment to a chair of mathematics at the University of Vienna. Petzval became a member of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences in 1873.
Petzval is considered to be one of the main founders of geometrical optics, modern photography and cinematography. Among his inventions are the Petzval portrait lens and opera glasses, both still in common use today. He is also credited with the discovery of the Laplace transform and is also known for his extensive work on aberration in optical systems.
In 1801, Joseph Petzval's father married the Zipser-German Zuzana Kreutzmann, who was born in Szepesbéla, Kingdom of Hungary, a daughter of the previous teacher at the same school in Zipser Bela. The couple brought up six children: Gustáv Adolf (1800–1803), who died prematurely; Nestor Aemilianus (1804–1806); Joseph Maximilián (1807 - 1891); Petrol Baltazár (1809–1889); and three daughters. In 1810, the family moved to Késmárk (today Kežmarok) and in 1819 to Leutschau (today Levoča).
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