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| Me |
A Retrospective
The 14th of February, 2013
As I look back over the past century, I cannot help but be proud. It has been exactly seventy years since my death, but so much has happened. I had lost faith towards the end of my life. Upon my death, the Nazis had restaffed the university and removed many of my Jewish colleagues, many of whom were never seen again. But we shall not cry because they are gone, but rather celebrate their accomplishments. I myself am agnostic. However I believe that mathematical truth is independent of the existence of God. Being at the center of the axis in World War II, I had lost faith in an end to the terror caused by the Nazis. Luckily two years after my death, the terror ended. Over the next fifty or so years the world was revolutionized by advancements in mathematics and technology. Moreover, much of my life’s work is still used today, a very humbling fact.
One of my proudest moments was the presentation of my twenty-three problems, and looking back on it, I believe they had a very large impact. Many mathematicians have pondered my problems, and a good lot still are unsolved. I’m hopeful that these problems will guide the next one hundred years as well. So far, only ten of the problems have been solved, and the solutions are nothing short of genius. As I watched the solutions unfold, I struggled to follow along. I fear the newer generations of mathematicians may be smarter than I. A few of my problems (most notably the first, which regards infinite sets and the continuum hypothesis) have been partially solved. In regards to the continuum hypothesis, two brilliant gentlemen by the names of Ernst Zermelo and Abraham Fraenkel proved that this problem is impossible to prove or disprove! What a conundrum!
I was also amazed by the advances made in science over the past seventy years. In this short amount of time, humans have traveled into space, and even been to the moon! Speaking of space, Hilbert Space (a geometrical concept which I pioneered) is still used frequently today. Mathematicians find it an advantage to use Hilbert Space because it allows for infinite dimensions. This lack of parameters acts as a creative wonderland for mathematicians and makes it a more favorable theoretical space for mathematicians to work. My lasting impact on the mathematic community, and my inspiration of future mathematics, is a treasure.
Upon reflection, for I have had a lot of time to think, I wish I had led a more humble life. Although my problems and concepts are still prevalent, the name Hilbert is seldom uttered outside of symposiums and graduate level lectures. In hindsight, possibly being more humble would’ve awarded me with timelessness, like my colleague Albert Einstein. I will end this with the same words inscribed on my tombstone, words which I think should govern discovery and creativity for as long as the sun burns. Wir müssen wissen. Wir werden wissen.
We must know.
We will know.
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| My Tomb |
Even though you may not have lived a humble life, you have much to be proud of, for your life is filled with accomplishments. I too, struggled through World War II and know the horrors that accompanied those terrible years. I am deeply sorry for your colleagues who passed away during the war, and cannot possibly try to imagine the sorrow you feel for those losses. It is quite a shame that you left this world before the end of the war, because from my experiences, our world improved greatly after this set back. On a happier note, I too think that you were a very influential man in the progression of mathematics. Your twenty three problems are still talked about now, and I'm sure, as you hoped, that in the future they will continue to be solved and debated. I cannot believe that your favorite problem, the first, was proven to be unprovable or provable. This excites me greatly because I cannot think of a way to prove something as complex as this problem. Although you are gone from this world, your work continues to thrive, and your impact on math will not soon be forgotten.
ReplyDeleteRest in peace,
M.C. Escher
Hi David,
ReplyDeleteI thoroughly enjoyed reading this retrospective. World War Two was a horrible time for many of us, and I am deeply saddened by the execution of your Jewish colleagues, but also inspired by your desire to remember them for their accomplishments. Concerning your work of the twenty-three problems, you should be very proud. Your concept of Hilbert space is also incredible because it allows for infinite dimensions, which allows for a lot of theoretical creativity. Don’t be fearful of the intelligence of future generations. I too shared that fear until I realized they would soon be distracted by the technological advancements of their generations (things that start with i).
I am confused to your last paragraph. Are you unhappy with your percieved level of fame? Don’t worry David you are famous enough to be featured on a blog!
Yours truly,
Fibonacci