Wolfgang Haken

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Wolfgang Haken
Karl-Heinrich Weise

Wolfgang Haken (German: [ˈvɔlfɡaŋ ˈhaːkn̩]; June 21, 1928 – October 2, 2022) was a German American mathematician who specialized in topology, in particular 3-manifolds.

Biography

Haken was born on June 21, 1928, in

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
. He became a full professor in 1965, retiring in 1998.

In 1976, together with colleague

algorithmic topology
. One of his key contributions to this field is an algorithm to detect whether a knot is unknotted.

In 1978, Haken delivered an

four-color theorem.[3]

Wolfgang Haken discusses the four-color theorem with Marshall Pangilinan. They are looking at the book 99 Variations on a Proof by Philip Ording.

Haken died in Champaign, Illinois, on October 2, 2022, aged 94.[4]

Family

Haken's eldest son, Armin, proved that there exist

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.[6] Wolfgang is the cousin of Hermann Haken
, a physicist known for laser theory and synergetics.

See also

References

  1. ^ Werner Haken, Beitrag zur Kenntnis der thermoelektrischen Eigenschaften der Metallegierungen. Accessed May 6, 2019
  2. ^ International Congress of Mathematicians 1978. International Mathematical Union. Accessed May 29, 2011
  3. ^ Delbert Ray Fulkerson Prize, American Mathematical Society. Accessed May 29, 2011
  4. ^ "Wolfgang Haken's obituary". news-gazette.com. October 13, 2022. Archived from the original on October 14, 2022. Retrieved October 14, 2022.
  5. ^ Avi Wigderson, Mathematics and Computation, March 27 2018, footnote at Theorem 6.11
  6. ^ University of Illinois Electric Strings Degree Program Accessed November 15, 2022

External links