Weil, Andre, << VEH yuh, AHN dray >> (1906-1998), was a French mathematician who ranks as one of the most influential mathematicians of the 1900’s. He is well known for his work in number theory, a branch of mathematics concerned with the properties of integers—that is, whole numbers and their negatives. Weil also made major contributions to the development of algebraic geometry. Algebraic geometry uses tools of geometry to solve problems in algebra and algebraic techniques to solve geometry problems.
Weil was born in Paris on May 6, 1906. His younger sister was Simone Weil, a famous philosopher and social activist. Weil studied at universities in France, Germany, and Italy. He received his doctor’s degree from the University of Paris in 1928.
In 1934, Weil and several other mathematicians, most of whom were French, formed a group to organize all the branches of mathematics in a set of books. The group wrote under the pen name Nicolas Bourbaki. Their first book, Elements de mathematique, appeared in 1939.
In 1939, Weil escaped to Finland to avoid serving in the French military during World War II (1939-1945). He was returned to France and sentenced to prison. While in jail, Weil discovered a proof for the Riemann hypothesis, one of the most important proofs in number theory. After serving six months, Weil earned his release by joining the French Army. He fled to the United States in 1941.
Weil taught at the University of Chicago from 1947 to 1958. While there, he created the Weil conjectures. These theories provided the foundation for algebraic geometry. Weil was professor of mathematics at the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, New Jersey, from 1958 until 1976, when he became professor emeritus. He died on Aug. 6, 1998.
Weil wrote many books, including Foundations of Algebraic Geometry (1946), Elliptic Functions According to Eisenstein and Kronecker (1976), and his autobiography, The Apprenticeship of a Mathematician (1991). He also edited works by two great mathematicians, Jacques Bernoulli of Switzerland and Pierre de Fermat of France. Weil was a member of the world’s leading scientific organizations, including the Royal Society in London, the Academy of Sciences in Paris, and the National Academy of Sciences in the United States.
