Waclaw Sierpinski
| Wacław Sierpiński | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born |
Wacław Franciszek Sierpiński March 14, 1882 Warsaw, Kingdom of Poland, Russian Empire |
| Died | October 21, 1969 (aged 87) Warsaw, Poland |
| Nationality | Polish |
| Alma mater | University of Warsaw |
| Known for |
Sierpinski triangle Sierpinski carpet Sierpinski curve Sierpinski number |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Mathematics |
| Doctoral advisor |
Stanisław Zaremba Georgy Voronoy |
| Doctoral students |
Jerzy Browkin Edward Marczewski Stefan Mazurkiewicz Jerzy Neyman Stanisław Ruziewicz Andrzej Schinzel |
Wacław Franciszek Sierpiński (Polish: [ˈvat͡swaf fraɲˈt̠͡ɕiʂɛk ɕɛrˈpʲiɲskʲi]) (March 14, 1882 – October 21, 1969) was a Polish mathematician. He was known for outstanding contributions to set theory (research on the axiom of choice and the continuum hypothesis), number theory, theory of functions and topology. He published over 700 papers and 50 books.
Three well-known fractals are named after him (the Sierpinski triangle, the Sierpinski carpet and the Sierpinski curve), as are Sierpinski numbers and the associated Sierpiński problem.
Sierpiński enrolled in the Department of Mathematics and Physics at the University of Warsaw in 1899 and graduated four years later. In 1903, while still at the University of Warsaw, the Department of Mathematics and Physics offered a prize for the best essay from a student on Voronoy's contribution to number theory. Sierpiński was awarded a gold medal for his essay, thus laying the foundation for his first major mathematical contribution. Unwilling for his work to be published in Russian, he withheld it until 1907, when it was published in Samuel Dickstein's mathematical magazine 'Prace Matematyczno-Fizyczne' (Polish: 'The Works of Mathematics and Physics').
After his graduation in 1904, Sierpiński worked as a school teacher of mathematics and physics in Warsaw. However, when the school closed because of a strike, Sierpiński decided to go to Kraków to pursue a doctorate. At the Jagiellonian University in Kraków he attended lectures by Stanisław Zaremba on mathematics. He also studied astronomy and philosophy. He received his doctorate and was appointed to the University of Lwów in 1908.
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