Petr Vopěnka
| Petr Vopěnka | |
|---|---|
Petr Vopěnka in 2009
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| Born |
16 May 1935 Prague, Czechoslovakia |
| Died | 20 March 2015 (aged 79) |
| Nationality | Czech |
| Alma mater | Mathematics and Physics Faculty, Charles University in Prague |
| Doctoral students |
Bohuslav Balcar Lev Bukovský Jaroslav Chudáček Karel Čuda Petr Hájek Karel Hrbáček Thomas Jech Magdaléna Krátká Josef Mlček Antonín Sochor Alena Vencovská Peter Vojtáš Blanka Vojtášková Pavol Zlatoš |
Petr Vopěnka (16 May 1935 – 20 March 2015) was a Czech mathematician. In the early seventies, he developed alternative set theory (i.e. alternative to the classical Cantor theory), which he subsequently developed in a series of articles and monographs. Vopěnka’s name is associated with many mathematical achievements, including Vopěnka's principle. Since the mid-eighties he concerned himself with philosophical questions of mathematics (particularly vis-à-vis Husserlian phenomenology).
Vopěnka served as the Minister of Education of the Czech Republic (then part of Czechoslovakia) from 1990 to 1992 within the government of Prime Minister Petr Pithart.
Petr Vopěnka grew up in small town of Dolní Kralovice. After finishing gymnasium in Ledeč nad Sázavou in 1953 he went to study mathematics at the Mathematics and Physics Faculty of Charles University in Prague, graduating in 1958. In 1962 he was made Candidate of Sciences (CSc) and in 1967 Doctor of Science (DrSc). His advisors were Eduard Čech and Ladislav Rieger.
Starting in 1958 Vopěnka taught at the Mathematics and Physics Faculty, since 1964 as lecturer, since 1965 as senior lecturer. In 1968 he was made professor but was prevented to take this title until 1990 due to political reasons. Between 1966 and 69 Vopěnka served as Vice Dean of the faculty.
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