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经济学家日历：约翰·冯·诺伊曼knight2005-12-2715:45JohnvonNeumann(NeumannJános)(December28,1903–February8,1957)JohnvonNeumannBorn:28Dec1903inBudapest,HungaryDied:8Feb1957inWashingtonD.C.,USAJohnvonNeumannwasbornJánosvonNeumann.HewascalledJancsiasachild,adiminutiveformofJános,thenlaterhewascalledJohnnyintheUnitedStates.Hisfather,MaxNeumann,wasatopbankerandhewasbroughtupinaextendedfamily,livinginBudapestwhereasachildhelearntlanguagesfromtheGermanandFrenchgovernessesthatwereemployed.AlthoughthefamilywereJewish,MaxNeumanndidnotobservethestrictpracticesofthatreligionandthehouseholdseemedtomixJewishandChristiantraditions.ItisalsoworthexplaininghowMaxNeumann'ssonacquiredthevontobecomeJánosvonNeumann.In1913MaxNeumannpurchasedatitlebutdidnotchangehisname.Hisson,however,usedtheGermanformvonNeumannwherethevonindicatedthetitle.AsachildvonNeumannshowedhehadanincrediblememory.Poundstone,in[8],writes:-Attheageofsix,hewasabletoexchangejokeswithhisfatherinclassicalGreek.TheNeumannfamilysometimesentertainedguestswithdemonstrationsofJohnny'sabilitytomemorisephonebooks.Aguestwouldselectapageandcolumnofthephonebookatrandom.YoungJohnnyreadthecolumnoverafewtimes,thenhandedthebookbacktotheguest.Hecouldansweranyquestionputtohim(whohasnumbersuchandsuch?)orrecitenames,addresses,andnumbersinorder.In1911vonNeumannenteredtheLutheranGymnasium.TheschoolhadastrongacademictraditionwhichseemedtocountformorethanthereligiousaffiliationbothintheNeumann'seyesandinthoseoftheschool.HismathematicsteacherquicklyrecognisedvonNeumann'sgeniusandspecialtuitionwasputonforhim.TheschoolhadanotheroutstandingmathematicianoneyearaheadofvonNeumann,namelyEugeneWigner.WorldWarIhadrelativelylittleeffectonvonNeumann'seducationbut,afterthewarended,BélaKuncontrolledHungaryforfivemonthsin1919withaCommunistgovernment.TheNeumannfamilyfledtoAustriaastheaffluentcameunderattack.However,afteramonth,theyreturnedtofacetheproblemsofBudapest.WhenKun'sgovernmentfailed,thefactthatithadbeenlargelycomposedofJewsmeantthatJewishpeoplewereblamed.SuchsituationsaredevoidoflogicandthefactthattheNeumann'swereopposedtoKun'sgovernmentdidnotsavethemfrompersecution.In1921vonNeumanncompletedhiseducationattheLutheranGymnasium.Hisfirstmathematicspaper,writtenjointlywithFeketetheassistantattheUniversityofBudapestwhohadbeentutoringhim,waspublishedin1922.HoweverMaxNeumanndidnotwanthissontotakeupasubjectthatwouldnotbringhimwealth.MaxNeumannaskedTheodorevonKármántospeaktohissonandpersuadehimtofollowacareerinbusiness.PerhapsvonKármánwasthewrongpersontoasktoundertakesuchataskbutintheendallagreedonthecompromisesubjectofchemistryforvonNeumann'suniversitystudies.HungarywasnotaneasycountryforthoseofJewishdescentformanyreasonsandtherewasastrictlimitonthenumberofJewishstudentswhocouldentertheUniversityofBudapest.Ofcourse,evenwithastrictquota,vonNeumann'srecordeasilywonhimaplacetostudymathematicsin1921buthedidnotattendlectures.InsteadhealsoenteredtheUniversityofBerlinin1921tostudychemistry.VonNeumannstudiedchemistryattheUniversityofBerlinuntil1923whenhewenttoZurich.HeachievedoutstandingresultsinthemathematicsexaminationsattheUniversityofBudapestdespitenotattendinganycourses.VonNeumannreceivedhisdiplomainchemicalengineeringfromtheTechnischeHochschuleinZürichin1926.WhileinZurichhecontinuedhisinterestinmathematics,despitestudyingchemistry,andinteractedwithWeylandPólyawhowerebothatZurich.HeeventookoveroneofWeyl'scourseswhenhewasabsentfromZurichforatime.Pólyasaid[18]:-JohnnywastheonlystudentIwaseverafraidof.IfinthecourseofalectureIstatedanunsolvedproblem,thechanceswerehe'dcometomeassoonasthelecturewasover,withthecompletesolutioninafewscribblesonaslipofpaper.VonNeumannreceivedhisdoctorateinmathematicsfromtheUniversityofBudapest,alsoin1926,withathesisonsettheory.Hepublishedadefinitionofordinalnumberswhenhewas20,thedefinitionistheoneusedtoday.VonNeumannlecturedatBerlinfrom1926to1929andatHamburgfrom1929to1930.HoweverhealsoheldaRockefellerFellowshiptoenablehimtoundertakepostdoctoralstudiesattheUniversityofGöttingen.HestudiedunderHilbertatGöttingenduring1926-27.BythistimevonNeumannhadachievedcelebritystatus[8]:-Byhismid-twenties,vonNeumann'sfamehadspreadworldwideinthemathematicalcommunity.Atacademicconferences,hewouldfindhimselfpointedoutasayounggenius.VebleninvitedvonNeumanntoPrincetontolectureonquantumtheoryin1929.ReplyingtoVeblenthathewouldcomeafterattendingtosomepersonalmatters,vonNeumannwenttoBudapestwherehemarriedhisfiancéeMariettaKovesibeforesettingoutfortheUnitedStates.In1930vonNeumannbecameavisitinglectureratPrincetonUniversity,beingappointedprofessortherein1931.Between1930and1933vonNeumanntaughtatPrincetonbutthiswasnotoneofhisstrongpoints[8]:-Hisfluidlineofthoughtwasdifficultforthoselessgiftedtofollow.Hewasnotoriousfordashingoutequationsonasmallportionoftheavailableblackboardanderasingexpressionsbeforestudentscouldcopythem.Incontrast,however,hehadanabilitytoexplaincomplicatedideasinphysics[3]:-Foramantowhomcomplicatedmathematicspresentednodifficulty,hecouldexplainhisconclusionstotheuninitiatedwithamazinglucidity.A