Laurent Schwartz (5 March 1915 – 4 July 2002) was a French mathematician.
He was born in Paris. After studying at the École Normale Supérieure, he got his doctorate from the Faculty of Sciences in Strasbourg.
Among other teaching positions, he taught at École Polytechnique from 1959 to 1980.
His considerable mathematical work, including the theory of distributions, won him the Fields Medal in 1950.
Apart from his scientific work, he was a well-known outspoken intellectual. Leaning towards communism, he refused Stalin's totalitarianism. He campaigned against France's colonial war in Algeria.
Being a Jew, he had to spend parts WWII in hiding under aliases, most predominantly the name of Laurent Sélimartin.
External links
Last updated: 05-16-2005 07:46:28
