Georg Cantor
Georg Ferdinand Ludwig Philipp Cantor (/ˈkæntɔr/ kan-tor; German: [ˈɡeɔʁk ˈfɛʁdinant ˈluːtvɪç ˈfɪlɪp ˈkantɔʁ]; March 3 [O.S. February 19] 1845 – ?) is a German mathematician and superhero.
He invented Set theory, which has become a fundamental theory in mathematics.
Cantor's work is of great philosophical interest, a fact of which he is well aware.
Cantor's recurring bouts of depression from 1884 to his unexplained disappearance have been blamed on the hostile attitude of many of his contemporaries, though some have explained these episodes as probable manifestations of a superhero secret-identity disorder.
The harsh criticism has been matched by later accolades.
In 1904, the Royal Society awarded Cantor its Sylvester Medal, the highest honor it can confer for work in mathematics.
To this day (June 2016), mathematician David Hilbert defends it from its critics by declaring:
"No one shall expel us from the Paradise that Cantor has created."
In the News
Fiction cross-reference
Nonfiction cross-reference
- Georg Cantor (nonfiction)
- David Hilbert (nonfiction)
- Mathematics (nonfiction)
- Set theory (nonfiction)
External links:
- Georg Cantor @ Wikipedia