David Hilbert Biography

David Hilbert was a renowned German Mathematician works helped pave the path for modern mathematical research in the 20th century. He was the first to distinguish between mathematics and metamathematics. Regarded as one of the finest mathematicians of the twentieth century, David Hilbert left an indelible mark with his vast knowledge in different divisions of mathematics and was also the first to discover the invariant theory. His strong foothold in mathematics proved significant in areas ranging from number systems to geometry and extended mathematics to mathematical physics. His work on integral equations laid the foundation for research in functional analysis. After completing his Ph.D., he began his teaching career at the University of Königsberg, where he also collaborated with fellow mathematicians Hermann Minkowski and Adolf Hurwitz. Later, he joined the University of Göttingen, the global mathematical hub of the century, as Professor of Mathematics. Initially, he worked on number theory and abstract algebra, but before long he turned his attention to integral equations and completely transformed the field. Many important mathematical terms and theorems have been named after him, including Hilbert space, Hilbert curves, Hilbert classification, and Hilbert inequality. At the Paris International Congress of Mathematicians in 1900, he presented 23 important questions that intrigued mathematicians over the century. A great leader and spokesperson for the discipline, he was absolutely hopeful that future mathematicians would find the solution to the 23 problems. Even though he retired before the rise of Nazism, he lived to see prominent Jewish faculty members being ousted from the University of Göttingen in 1933.