Ferdinand von Lindemann
1852–1939, Hanover, Kingdom of Hanover (now Germany), Munich, Germany
German mathematician who proved in 1882 that π is transcendental, finally settling the ancient problem of squaring the circle with ruler and compass, and who supervised David Hilbert's doctorate.
Lindemann studied at Göttingen, Erlangen and Munich, earning his doctorate at Erlangen in 1873 under Felix Klein with a dissertation on non-Euclidean line geometry. After visiting mathematical centres in England and France, where he discussed methods with Charles Hermite in Paris, he held professorships at Freiburg, Königsberg and, from 1893, Munich, where he remained for the rest of his career.
Building directly on Hermite's 1873 proof that e is transcendental, together with Euler's identity , Lindemann proved in 1882 that π is also transcendental. Since only algebraic numbers can be constructed with ruler and compass, this finally proved that the classical problem of squaring the circle is impossible. While at Königsberg he supervised the doctorate of David Hilbert, who went on to become one of the most influential mathematicians of the 20th century. Lindemann died in Munich in 1939.
Workplaces: University of Freiburg, University of Königsberg, University of Munich
Germany