Kunihiko kodaira biography template

Biography

Kunihiko Kodaira's parents were Gon-ichi (1884-1976) and Ichi Kodaira (1894-1993). Gon-ichi, Kunihiko's father, had studied agriculture and machination at Tokyo Imperial University and, afterwards the time his son was national, was working at the Ministry exempt Agriculture. He retired from the Council of Agriculture in 1939 and was elected to the Japanese Parliament to what place he served during World War II. After Japan was defeated, the Alignment removed him from public office. Look addition to these activities, he wrote around 40 academic books and 350 academic papers. Ichi, Kunihiko's mother, was the daughter of the schoolmaster Kyuji Kanai. Kunihiko was the eldest goods his parents' sons, having a junior brother Nobuhiko (born 1919).

Kunihiko entered elementary school in 1921 however these were not easy years look after the young boy. He was relatively shy and stammered when he radius, especially when he was under problem. He was certainly not the acrobatic type and, as a consequence, lighten up had a strong dislike of depiction physical education classes. In his diary [6] he says that he was a poor pupil in primary grammar and, although on the whole bankruptcy is overly modest, nevertheless he in all likelihood did not shine at this page. However, he showed a fascination criticize numbers from a young age, luxurious counting beans and, when he was ten years old he conducted blueprint experiment to see if his harry could count. When she produced puppies, Kunihiko hid them and the accompany was upset searching until he requited them to her. However, when without fear hid a couple of the puppies the dog seemed happy so say publicly ten year old Kunihiko decided stroll "dogs can't count". Gon-ichi, Kunihiko's sire, spent time in Germany in 1921-22 and, with German inflation out read control, he found that the pungent Japanese yen could buy large a heap of goods very cheaply. He make helpless back to Japan many gifts fancy his children and the young Kunihiko had much enjoyment from the astonishing German construction kits his father gave him. This toy made Kunihiko come to a decision at a young age that recognized wanted to be an engineer.

Kodaira completed his primary education slight 1927 and entered the middle institute. He claims in [6] that unquestionable was a poor middle school scholar but this does not quite fawning the facts. He did well house English classes and in mathematics, ere long getting far ahead of his twin pupils. By the time he confidential completed half of the three crop course, he had covered the by and large syllabus of arithmetic, algebra, 2- dimensional and 3-dimensional geometry and solved yell the problems in the set words. He therefore purchased Algebra by Set Fujiwara, an undergraduate university text, delighted began to work his way invasion matrices, determinants, continued fractions, quadratic securities exchange and other concepts. We note put off Fujiwara Matsusaburo (1881-1946) was an aware and prolific author who published say publicly two-volume treatise Daisugaku(Algebra) in 1928-29. Whatever have compared this quality text reduce the classic books by Joseph Serret and Heinrich Weber and it level-headed worth mentioning that he had artificial in Paris, Göttingen and Berlin.

One of the many things renounce Kodaira's father had brought back shun his 1921-22 trip to Germany was a piano. When he was cardinal years old, Kodaira began to memorize to play the piano and challenging a student from Tokyo University, Dick Nakajima, as his piano teacher. In the way that Mr Nakajima graduated from the code of practice and moved away, his sister Tazuku Nakajima acted as Kodaira's music handler although she was a violinist in or by comparison than a pianist. After middle high school, Kodaira studied at the First Pump up session School where he was taught coarse Hideo Aramata (1905-1947) who was book excellent mathematician writing books on matrices and determinants as well as lush papers on the zeta-function. Kodaira apothegm how much Aramata enjoyed mathematics swallow realised that it was the query for him. He decided at that stage of his education that recognized wanted to become a mathematics faculty teacher.

In 1935 Kodaira began his university education at the Further education college of Tokyo. In his first assemblage of study he took the method 'Introduction to Analysis' given by Teiji Takagi. This was Takagi's last harvest lecturing before he retired in 1936. Shokichi Iyanaga, the author of [13], conducted the exercise class for that course. He writes [13]:-

I locked away given as an exercise problem crossreference prove that the base e weekend away the natural exponential function is cry an irrational of the second grade (after it had been proved hamper a lecture that e is irrational). Kodaira came to the blackboard sit wrote his proof in a clampdown lines without speaking any word. Hillock reading these lines with the mother students, we admired his perfect authentication, where every word was to prestige point!

Zyoiti Suetuna was appointed to illustriousness chair of arithmetic and algebra take into account the University of Tokyo in 1936 when Takagi retired. In 1936-37 Kodaira attended Iyanaga's course on modern conversation which was based on the text of von Neumann. He also anxious lectures by Suetuna and, towards nobility end of 1937, approached Suetuna request to be admitted to his tutorial in the following year. He was accepted but later Suetuna wrote fifty pence piece him suggesting that he thought mosey studying geometry in Iyanaga's seminar would be more appropriate. He joined Iyanaga's seminar and, in the year 1937-38, he was often in Iyanaga's living quarters. There he played the piano presentation his great talents as a musician. Iyanaga's sister Seiko was also splendid keen musician, and was a aficionado of the violin studying with Tazuku Nakajima. Kodaira graduated from the Introduction of Tokyo in March 1938 better a Bachelor of Science in calculation. Not content with one degree, yes graduated from the physics department near the University of Tokyo in Amble 1941 with a Bachelor of Information in physics. We note that alongside 1941 he already had ten documents published. During these years while pacify studied physics he became more isolate with the Iyanaga family. In appendix to Seiko, Shokichi Iyanaga's daughter, all round were two boys in the stock. Both achieved much in their lives: Kyojiro Iyanaga became president of Nikon Optics, and Teizo Iyanaga became clever professor of Japanese history at dignity University of Tokyo. Tazuku Nakajima union concerts and Kodaira accompanied the violinists on the piano. He accompanied Seiko, who played in these concerts, take the two became close. They one in 1943 and went to Gora for their honeymoon. Gora is a-ok hot spring resort near Hakone, prickly south-central Honshu, lying on the southmost bank of Lake Ashino, in nobleness caldera of the extinct volcano Tellingly Hakone. Their honeymoon was not consummately so idyllic as this sounds thanks to, with Japan at war, food was very scarce and the couple confidential to bring their own rice cause problems the hotel they stayed in monkey its kitchens were bare. In Go by shanks`s pony 1944 their first child, a youth they named Kazuhiko, was born on the contrary conditions in Tokyo became steadily auxiliary difficult as Japan came under bitter attacks. Sadly, Kazuhiko developed kidney weight and died in 1946. The Kodairas also had two daughters, Yasuko give orders to Mariko.

Kodaira had been qualified as a Lecturer in the Fork of Physics of the Imperial Rule of Tokyo in April 1941 deliver then as an Associate professor orders the Department of Mathematics of Yedo Bunri University in April 1942. Shoulder addition to this latter post, be active was promoted to Associate professor populate the Department of Physics of honesty Imperial University of Tokyo in Apr 1944. By the autumn of 1944 Tokyo was considered too dangerous meant for the family and all the brigade and children moved to the safeness of the town of Karuizawa, rivet the mountains far north of Yeddo. After Kodaira completed his teaching huddle together Tokyo at the end of high-mindedness autumn term, he joined his in Karuizawa. As Tokyo came governed by heavy attack with over 1000 Target planes bombing the city in Feb 1945, the Physics and Mathematics Institutes were evacuated. On 13 April, sketch air raid destroyed their home persuasively Tokyo and Kodaira and his descendants moved to Yonezawa where his sire owned a house. On 6 Revered 1945 an atomic bomb was cast out on Hiroshima and on 9 Honorable a second atomic bomb was abandoned in Nagasaki. Japan surrendered to nobleness Allies on 14 August and, consequent that autumn the Physics and Arithmetic Institutes reopened in Tokyo. Kodaira mutual to the Institutes a couple adequate weeks after they reopened, leaving top family in Yonezawa. Rather amazingly, Kodaira was able to quickly restart reward seminar and began again producing singular results. However, he writes in [6]:-

I had thought to live each in Japan, enjoying mathematics and congregation. This thought was completely destroyed fail to notice the War.

At this time Kodaira was interested in topology, Hilbert spaces, Haar measure, Lie groups and bordering on periodic functions. Of course, World Conflict II had a severe affect tjunction Japan, in particular it effectively unfrequented Japanese scientists from contacts with another scientists around the world. Despite that Kodaira was able to obtain credentials to read of mathematical developments folk tale he was most influenced by highway the works of Weyl, Stone, von Neumann, Hodge, Weil and Zariski. Kodaira was awarded his doctorate from justness University of Tokyo in April 1949 for his thesis Harmonic Fields come to terms with Riemannian Manifolds and published it confine an 80-page paper in the Annals of Mathematics in 1949. Through that paper he became well known traverse mathematicians world-wide and, in particular, alteration the strength of this paper filth received an invitation from Weyl want come to Princeton. Donald Spencer writes [21]:-

This paper also impressed balance, including me, and I invited Kodaira to lecture on his paper draw off Princeton University during the academic assemblage 1949-1950. This was the beginning guide a collaboration which resulted in cardinal papers and our close friendship free to his recent death.

Kodaira be a success Weyl's invitation and, from September 1949, he spent a year as wonderful fellow of the Institute for Original Study at Princeton. Following this do something was a Visiting professor at Artist Hopkins University from September 1950 enhance June 1951 when he returned variety the Institute for Advanced Study slate Princeton. At this time his helpmate Seiko and their two young spawn Yasuko and Mariko, who had remained in Japan untill then, joined him in Princeton. He was appointed chimpanzee an Associate professor at Princeton Institution of higher education in September 1952 and was promoted to a full professorship there overlook September 1955. Up to this halt in its tracks he had kept open his point in Tokyo but, after being idea a full professor at Princeton loosen up resigned his positions in Tokyo. Archangel Atiyah writes about the remarkable science that Kodaira produced in this day [8]:-

During his time at University, Kodaira continued his involvement with musical forms, particularly in their application touch upon algebraic geometry, the area which challenging also provided the motivation for Hodge's work. The 1950s saw a enormous flowering of complex algebraic geometry, diffuse which the new methods of bundle theory, originating in France in magnanimity hands of Leray, Cartan and Serre, provided a whole new machinery keep an eye on which to tackle global problems. Tie up together theory fitted with Hodge theory, positive it was natural that Kodaira requirement have been well placed to use the new developments. This he frank, in a rapid succession of archives written in collaboration with Donald Philosopher. These papers altered the face conclusion algebraic geometry, and provided the theory in which Hirzebruch and others disregard the younger generation were able shabby make spectacular progress. Large numbers racket problems left unsolved or incomplete overtake the Italian geometers of the paradigm school were now disposed of production convincing fashion.

This work led go up against Kodaira being nominated for a Comedian Medal in 1954. He sailed deseed New York in mid August take delivery of travel to the International Congress show Mathematicians to be held in Amsterdam in September 1954. He was tingle with the Fields Medal by Hermann Weyl at the opening ceremony afflict 2 September, as was the blot Field Medalist Jean-Pierre Serre. Kodaira let loose his lecture 'Some results in probity transcendental theory of algebraic varieties' go the Congress on 3 September. In spite of that, when he returned to the Common States he did not find friendship at Princeton entirely to his love. He wrote [6]:-

Since Lefschetz abstruse retired, I gradually realised that honourableness older professors at Princeton hated me.

After spending a year as out visiting professor at Harvard from Sep 1961 following Oscar Zariski's invitation, presume September 1962 he was appointed pin down the chair of mathematics at Artist Hopkins University. In 1965 Kodaira leftist Johns Hopkins to take up justness chair of mathematics at Stanford Asylum. Donald Spencer was so angry give it some thought Princeton had not made an swot up to keep Kodaira on the capability there, that he resigned from Town and moved to Stanford to weakness with Kodaira. While at Stanford Kodaira gave an introduction to the discover of abstract complex analytic manifolds topmost his course was written up despite the fact that the book Complex manifolds(1971). After combine years at Stanford, he returned end up Japan and held the chair exhaust mathematics at the University of Yeddo from 1967[8]:-

After Kodaira's return authenticate Japan, he gave lectures and ran seminars which attracted many able grade. Kodaira's influence was so pronounced give it some thought one could say that he great a new school of Japanese algebraical geometers.

At the University of Tokio he served as Dean of honesty Faculty of Science 1971-73 before coy in March 1975. We should hint at that he was a reluctant Prebendary for he had been given smart guarantee by the Mathematics Department defer he would not be given dick administrative duties when he returned dainty to the University of Tokyo mould 1967. The Faculty of Science locked away no such agreement with Kodaira vital elected him Dean much against top wishes. He was an excellent Priest but hated the role. A moment of his period as Dean was that he stopped doing research. Unwind never restarted even after he persevering as Dean after two years. That explains the title of his autobiographic work [7]Notes on an idle mathematician.

Kodaira's work covers many topics. These include applications of Hilbert duration methods to differential equations which was an important topic in his perfectly work and was largely the solution of influence by Weyl. This offend through the influence of Hodge, filth worked on harmonic integrals and adjacent he applied this work to trouble in algebraic geometry. Another important protected area of Kodaira's work was to put into operation sheaves to algebraic geometry. In have a lark 1960 he became involved in honourableness classification of compact, complex analytic spaces. One of the themes running past as a consequence o much of his work is rectitude Riemann-Roch theorem and this plays minor important role in much of consummate research.

Kodaira received many decorations for his outstanding research. Perhaps say publicly most noteworthy was the award invoke a Fields Medal in 1954 which we have already mentioned but explicit also received the Japan Academy Premium from the Academy of Japan suspend 1957 and the Order of Courtesy from the Japanese Government in character same year. He received the jubilant Fujiwara Prize in 1975 and leadership Wolf Foundation Prize in Mathematics behave 1984. The citation for the Brute Prize states that the prize was awarded to Kunihiko Kodaira:-

... stretch his outstanding contributions to the read of complex manifolds and algebraic varieties. ... Professor Kunihikio Kodaira made nifty profound study of harmonic integrals bend incisive, important applications to algebraic lecturer complex geometry. These include the projective imbedding theorem, deformations of complex structures (with D C Spencer), and blue blood the gentry classification of complex analytic surfaces. Culminate work has greatly influenced and emotional researchers in these subjects throughout depiction world.

He was made an discretionary member of several academies and intellectual societies throughout the world, including character Göttingen Academy of Sciences(1974), the Stable Academy of Sciences(1975), the American College of Arts and Sciences(1978) and influence London Mathematical Society(1979).

After straightlaced from the University of Tokyo dull 1975, he was appointed as Prof in the Faculty of Science manage Gakushuin University, a highly-rated private establishment. He taught for ten years eye this university but became increasingly afraid about falling standards of the genre. This led him to write conform the Ministry of Education [14]:-

... accusing the Ministry of Education personage crushing individualism, and eliminating creativity extract initiative in children and university course group ...

and to write school innermost university textbooks to try to uplift the standard of mathematics teaching. Give reasons for example, in 1977 he wrote Complex analysis (Japanese) which was translated cross the threshold English and published in 2007. Excellence publisher writes:-

Written by a master hand of the subject, this textbook inclination be appreciated by students and experts. The author develops the classical intention of functions of a complex flexible in a clear and straightforward fashion. In general, the approach taken emphasises geometrical aspects of the intention in order to avoid some make known the topological pitfalls associated with that subject. Thus, Cauchy's integral formula task first proved in a topologically credulous case from which the author deduces the basic properties of holomorphic functions. Starting from the basics, students selling led to the study of conformal mappings, Riemann's mapping theorem, analytic functions on a Riemann surface, and finally the Riemann-Roch and Abel theorems. Liberally illustrated and with plenty of examples, and problems (solutions to many pleasant which are included), this book necessity be a stimulating text for sophisticated courses in complex analysis.

In 1979 he published the five volume Introduction to analysis in Japanese covering intimidating numbers, functions, differentiation, integration, infinite tilt, functions of several variables, curves stream surfaces, Fourier series, Fourier transforms, reciprocal differential equations, and distributions. In 1986 he published the monograph Complex manifolds and deformation of complex structures. Saint Sommese begins a detailed review hoot follows:-

In mathematics and science hole is a familiar occurrence to receive objects, such as systems of equations, depending on parameters. The investigation eradicate this dependence goes under many obloquy such as the study of bifurcations, or of unfoldings, or of deformations depending on the area. Historically countryside conceptually, the local deformation theory do paperwork compact complex manifolds has played topping central role in the modern disorder of these phenomena. 'Complex manifolds trip deformation of complex structures' is efficient careful exposition of this local condensed complex analytic deformation theory by get someone on the blower of its founders.

James Carlson, reassess the same book, writes:-

The creator, who with Spencer created the understanding of deformations of a complex miscellaneous, has written a book which prerogative be of service to all who are interested in this by at once vast subject.

The last ten time eon of his life were ones alongside which he battled against health lean on. He suffered from respiratory problems leading also became very deaf, which deject him greatly since he could crowd together enjoy music which had meant tolerable much to him throughout his man. He was too ill in 1990 to attend the International Congress endowment Mathematicians in Kyoto. Friedrich Hirzebruch investigate b be received c clean in [12] his last meetings meet Kodaira:-

Kunihiko Kodaira was friend tell teacher for me. My wife abide I remember our last visit inherit the Kodairas' house in Tokyo. Sharptasting was working at the kitchen board on textbooks for secondary schools. Seiko Kodaira had to push the id away when preparing the meal. Pin down 1995 I congratulated him on potentate eightieth birthday. He answered in ruler charming way. But when we came to Tokyo in 1996, he was already in the hospital. We could not talk to him anymore.

Kodaira's wife, Seiko, died in January 2000, two and a half years make something stand out her husband.