ARILD STUBHAUG The Mathematician Sophus Lie
Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg GmbH
ARILD STUBHAUG The Mathematician SophusLie!twas Itwas theaudacityof My Thinking Translated from the Norwegian by Richard H. Daly Springer
ARILD STUBHAUG Department of Mathematics University of Oslo P. O. Box 1053, Blindern 0316 Oslo, Norway arild.stubhaug@online.no Translator: RICHARD H. DALY Stensrudlia 1 1294 Oslo, Norway daly@powertech.no Title of the Norwegian original edition 2000: Det var mine tankers djervhet - Matematikeren Sophus Lie Publisher: H.Aschehoug & Co. (W.Nygaard), Oslo ISBN 978-3-642-07570-4 ISBN 978-3-662-04386-8 (ebook) DOl DOI 10.1007/978-3-662-04386-8 Publisher's note: Springer-Verlag tiianks tilanks Elisabet W. MiddietiIon Middletilon of MUNIN (Marketing Unit for Norwegian International Non-fiction), Oslo, for tiie tile excellent collaboration and financial support for the translation, which made tiie tile publication of tiiis tilis book possible. Thanks go also to Harald Engelstad of H.Aschehoug & Co., Oslo. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Stubhaug, Arild, 1948-. [Det var mine tankers djervhet. Englishj English] The Mathematician Sophus Lie: it was the audacity of my thinking 1 Arild Slubhaug; translated from the Norwegian by Richard H. Daly. p. cm. Inc1udes Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 978-3-642-07570-4 1. Lie, Sophus, 1842-1899. 2. Mathematicians-Norway-Biography. I. Tide QA29.L.29 S8813 2002 510l.92-dc21. 510l.92-dC21. [Bj [B] 2001049574 MatiIematics Matilematics Subject Classification (2000): 01A55,01A70 01A5S,01A70 ISBN 978-3-642-07570-4 WitiI Witil 105 figures, 8 in color This work is subject to copyright. All rights are reserved. whether the who1e whole or part of the material is concerned, specifical1y specifically the rights of translation, reprinting, reuse of illustrations, recitation, broadcasting, reproduction on microfilm or in any other way. and storage in data banks. Duplication of this publication or parts thereof is permitted only under the provisions of the German Copyright Law of September 9, 1965, in its current version, and permission for use must use must always be obtained from Springer-Verlag. Vio1ations Violations are liab1e liable for prosecution under the German Copyright Law. http://www.springer.de Springer-Verlag Berlin Heide1berg Heidelberg 2002 Originally published by Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg New York in 2002 Softcover reprint of the hardcover 1 st edition 2002 Typeset in Word by the translator and edited by PublicationService Gisela Koch, Wiesenbach, using a modified Springer latex macro-package. Cover design: design 6- production GmbH, Heide1berg Heidelberg Printed on acid-free paper SPIN 10699495 46/3142Ko - 5 4 3 210
Contents PART I The Measure of a Life Tracking Hirn Him Down: A Torrent of Stories... 3 PART 11 II Family Background and Upbringing The Family Tree....................................................... 27 The Priestly Family at Nordfjordeid...................................... 33 Father's Home Horne in Moss................................................. 47 PART 111 III School and Education Nissen's School. Examen Artium... 59 Student Life... 71 The Lack of a Calling... 95 PART IV In Tune with the Times Into Mathematical History... 107 There was a Mathematician in Hirn. Him..................................... 116 The First Tour Abroad... 121 Parliamentary Professor... 153 PART V Professor in Christiania "My Inner Life Has Been Most Mighty"... 169 "My Life's Good Fortune".............................................. 205 Marriage at Last...................................................... 220 Herr Professor mit seiner Gemahlin... 230 In the Lee of "the Modern Breakthrough"............................... 239
VI Contents A Steady Strearn Stream ofworks... 259 The Mathernatical Mathematical Milieu at Horne Home and Abroad... 278 "It is Lonely, Terribly Lonely"... 299 Surnrnoned Summoned to Leipzig... 312 PART VI Professor in Leipzig The Corning Coming Period: A More Difficult Balancing Act...................... 325 In the Big City of Leipzig.............................................. 331 Breakdown... 350 Farne Fame... 360 Conflicts... 378 Norwegian Students... 398 Back to Norway...................................................... 406 PART VII At the End of the Road The Final Years....................................................... 435 Appendices Chronology........................................................... 455 Notes and Cornrnentaries Commentaries... 460 Sophus Lie's Descendants... 512 Chronological Bibliography of Sophus Lie's Published Works............... 518 Acknowledgernents Acknowledgements................................................... 532 List of Literature... 534 Index of Narnes Names... 545
List of Illustrations Sophus Lie and his wife Anna. Tinted photo: Ragnhild Thrane............. 1 The old vicarage at Eid. From the book Bid Eid kyrkje, 150 ar, edited by Eid Sokneräd. Soknerad. Nordfjordeid 1999... 25 Nordfjordeid seen from the vicarage (top). From the book Bid Eid kyrkje, 150 ar, edited by Eid Sokneräd. Soknerad. Nordfjordeid 1999... 35 Sophus Lie's father, Johan Herman Lie (bottom). Herman Lie's Nachlass..... 35 Sophus Lie's eldest brother, Fredrik Gill Lie (top left). Zeft). Photo: A. Forsberg! Herman Lie's Nachlass... 36 Sophus Lie's sister, Laura (top right). Herman Lie's Nachlass... 36 Sophus Lie's brother,john Herman and family (bottom). Herman Lie's Nachlass... 36 Science candidate Sophus Lie (top left). Zeft). Photo: Frederik Klem! Joronn Vogt 37 Family of Sophus Lie's sister, Mathilde and her husband, Dr. Fredrik Vogt (top right). Joronn Vogt............................... 37 Moss, circa 1890 (bottom). Postcard from Herman Lie's Nachlass.......... 37 Family photo at wedding of Sophus Lie's sister, Dorothea. Joronn Vogt....... 38 Nissen's Latin and Grammar School. Photo: Kammerherre Christensen!! Oslo City Museum................................................. 57 Sophus Lie while he was considering a military career (top). Herman Lie's Nachlass... 75 Gymnastics hall, University of Oslo, dating to 1856 (bottom). Photo: Bente Geving................................................ 75 OIe Ole Hartvig Nissen, school reformer (top left). Zeft). Norwegian State Archives.... 76 Carl Anton Bjerknes, mathematics professor (top right). Photo: L.Abel and Comp.1890! Norwegian National Library, Oslo........ 76 OIe Ole Jacob Broch, Professor of Mathematics and Prime Minister (bottom). Photo: Eug. Pirov, Paris. 1880! Norwegian National Library, Oslo.......... 76 Ludvig Sylow (top left). Zeft). FoZkebZadet! Folkebladet! Hansen! Norwegian National Library, Oslo........................................................ 77 Kristofer Janson (top right). Jens Munthe Svendsen! Norwegian State Archives........................................... 77 Axel Blytt (bottom left). Zeft). W.Holter, 1901!Norwegian! State Archives! Photo: O. V Vaering rering................................................... 77 Gerhard Armauer Hansen (bottom right). Olav RutH! Rutli! Norwegian State Archives! Photo: Jan H. Heim............... 77
VIII List of Illustrations Members of"the Green Roorn" Room" 1866-73. Norwegian National Library, Oslo 78 From Berlin, 1867. Berlin from the old Königsbrücke, Konigsbrucke, 1867, wood block print or drawing by Robert Geissler / Bildarchiv Preussischer Kulturbesitz..... 105 Hermann von Helmholtz. Hermann von Helmholtz's last lecture, 1893. Ullstein Bilderdienst................................................ 127 Karl Weierstrass (top). Ullstein Bilderdienst........................... 128 Leopold Kronecker (bottom left). Zeft). Academie des Sciences, Paris / Jean-Loup Charmet..................... 128 Ernst Eduard Kummer (bottom right). Heliograph, 1890, Bildarchiv Preussischer Kuturbesitz............................................ 128 Ecole Normale Superieure, Paris. Bibliotheque des Arts decoratifs / Jean-Loup Charmet................................................ 129 Charles Hermite (top left). Zeft). Jean-Loup Charmet......................... 130 Camille Jordan (top right). Jean-Loup Charmet........................... 130 Emile Pieard Picard (bottom left). Zeft). Mathematical Mathematieallibrary, library, University of Oslo, Blindern.......................................................... 130 Gaston Darboux (bottom right). Herman Lie's Nachlass......... 130 DagbZadet Dagbladet on Lie's arrest as a German spy in France (top). Dagbladet DagbZadet / Norwegian National Library, Mo i Rana.................... 131 A Sophus Lie travel sketch (bottom). Herman Lie's Nachlass....... 131 Studenterlunden and University, Karl Johans gate. Joachim Frich, Frieh, University of Oslo, 1854................... 167 Sophus Lie, oil portrait by Erik Werenskiold, 1902. Erik Werenskiold / BONO 2000/ Photo: O. V rering..................... 173 Ernst Motzfeldt, high court judge and cabinet minister (top left). Zeft). Herman Lie's Nachlass... 174 Axel Lund, Sophus Lie's doctor (top right). Photo: Lindegaard, 1867 / Norwegian National Library, Oslo... 174 Professor Georg Ossian Sars, zoologist (bottom). Elif Peterssen, 1915 / Photo: O. V rering................................. 174 Geologist, writer and professor Amund Helland HelIand (top), oil painting by Erik Werenskiold, 1885. Oil on canvas, 101 x 76 cm. Erik Werenskiold / BONO 2000/ National Gallery of Norway / Photo: J. Lathion............ 175 Elling Holst (bottom left). Zeft). Photo: Rude / Norwegian National Library........ 175 Professor Axel Thue (bottom right). Jo Piene, 1929 / Norwegian State Archives / Photo: O. V rering............. 175 Bj0rnstjerne Bj0rnson (top left). Zeft). Photo: Riffert Meisenbach, ca. 1892 / Norwegian National Library............ 176 Edvard Grieg (top right). Photo: Axel Leverin, ca. 1880 / Norwegian National Library... 176 FridtjofNansen (bottom). Woodcut: Johan Nordhagen, 1897 / Bildarchiv Preussischer Kulturbesitz... 176 Anna Birch (top). Norwegian National Library, Oslo. Manuscript ColIections Collections 207 Sophus Lie's letter of proposal to Anna Birch (bottom). Herman Lie's Nachlass... 207
List 0/ of Illustrations IX Albert Viktor Bäcklund, Backlund, professor in Lund (top). Kr. Anderberg, Royal Library, Stockholm... 208 Hieronymus Georg Zeuthen, professor in Copenhagen (bottom left). Zeft). Herman Lie's Nachlass... 208 Luigi Cremona, professor in Milan (bottom right). Mathematics Library, University of Oslo... 208 Front page, Archiv for Mathematik og Naturvidenskab (top left). Zeft). Mathematics Library, University of Oslo... 209 Front page, Acta Mathematica (top right). Mathematics Library, University of Oslo... 209 Gösta G6sta Mittag-Leffler (bottom). Allers 1910' I Norwegian National Library, Oslo... 209 Front page of Ny illustreret Tidende on Lie's summons to Leipzig. Ny Illustreret Tidende... 210 Landscape between Grungedal and Haukeli, Telemark, oil painting by Catherine Hermine K0lle c.1840. Culture History Collection. University of Bergen................................................ 241 Landscape near Ris0r, oil painting by Jacob Munch, 1821. Royal Farm, Bygd0Y Bygd0y' I Photo: Teigens fotoatelier... 242 Romsdalshorn, oil painting by Johan Fredrik Eckersberg, from 1865. Painting Collection of the City of Lillehammer........................ 243 Landscape from Switzerland, oil painting by Knud Andreassen Baade in 1850. Oil on paper, wood-backed, 42X58 cm' cml National Gallery of Norway' I Photo: J. Lathion... 244 The high mountains of Norway: landscape by the German painter Walter Leistikow, ca. 1897. Watercolour on paper, 103 x 130 cm. Berlinische Galerie, Bildarchiv Preussischer Kulturbesitz' I Photo: Jürgen Jiirgen Liepe... 260 Leipzig University, 1890. Universitäts Universitatsarchiv, archiv, Leipzig... 261 View of Paris, painted by Frits Thaulow in 1879. Oil on wood, 34 x 56 cm. National Gallery of Norway' I Photo: J. Lathion......................... 262 "Melancholy" at Asgärdstrand, Asgardstrand, oil painting by Edvard Munch, 1892. Oil on canvas, 64X96 cm. Much-Museet! Munch-Ellingsen Group' I BONO 2000' I National Gallery of Norway' I Photo: J. Lathion... 263 Seeburgstrasse, Leipzig, 1890. Stadtgeschichtliches Museum... 323 Felix Klein (top left). Zeft). Herman Lie's Nachlass.......... 336 Adolf Mayer (top right). Herman Lie's Nachlass... 336 Georg Scheffers (bottom left). Zeft). Herman Lie's Nachlass........ 336 Friedrich Engel (bottom right). Herman Lie's Nachlass................. 336 Mathematische Annalen AnnaZen (top). Mathematics Library, University of Oslo... 337 Theorie der Transformationsgruppen, title page (bottom left). Zeft). Mathematics Library, University of Oslo... 337 Publication of Lie's lectures, Leipzig, 1891, title page (bottom right). Mathematics Library, University of Oslo... 337 Alfred Clebsch (top left). Zeft). Herman Lie's Nachlass............. 338
x List of Illustrations Carl Neumann (top right). Mathematisches Forschungsinstitut, Oberwolfach-Walke, Germany... 338 Hermann Amandus Schwarz (bottom left). Zeft). Mathematisches Forschungsinstitut, Oberwolfach-Walke, Germany...... 338 Eduard Study (bottom right). Herman Lie's Nachlass... 338 Wilhe1m Wilhelm Ostwald. Photo: F. H. Man, Berlin 1929/ Bildarchiv Preussischer Kulturbesitz........................................... 339 Henri Poincare, sketched while lecturing, Paris, 1908 (Zeft). (left). Käte Kate Popoit, 1908 / Archives de l' Academie des Sciences, Paris / Jean-Loup Charmet... 411 Arthur Tresse (top right). Mathematisches Forschungsinstitut, Oberwolfach -Walke, Germany... 411 Ernest Vessiot (centre right). Herman Lie's Nachlass...................... 411 Elie Cartan (bottom right). Mathematisches Forschungsinstitut, Oberwolfach-Walke, Germany... 411 Lie and Amund HelIand Helland (top). Carl St0rmer, 1893-96 / Norwegian National Library, Oslo... 412 Lie at commemoration of Fridtjof Nansen's return from The Fram Expedition,9 9 September, 1896 (middze). (middle). Carl St0rmer / Norwegian National Library, Oslo... 412 Kristian Birkeland (bottom). Carl St0rmer / Norwegian National Library, Oslo... 412 Axel Blytt in a carriage (top left). Zeft). Carl St0rmer / Norwegian National Library, Oslo........................................................ 413 Axel Blytt outside the University of Christiania (top right). Carl St0rmer / Norwegian National Library, Oslo........................ 413 Karl Carda, Edgar OdelI Odell Lovett and Alf Guldberg (lower (Zower left). Zeft). Carl St0rmer, 1893-96? Norwegian National Library, Oslo................ 413 Kristian Birkeland and two foreign mathematicians at Sognsvann, Christiania, 1898 (bottom right). Carl St0rmer, 1893-96 / Norwegian National Library, Oslo................ 413 Elling Holst and his daughter (top). Carl St0rmer, 1893-96 / Norwegian National Library, Oslo................ 414 Excerpt from Elling Holst's children's book (bottom). Carl St0rmer, 1893-96 / Norwegian National Library, Oslo................ 414 Eugenies gate 22 as it looks today. Photo: Bente Geving... 433 The family - Sophus, Anna and the children. Herman Lie's Nachlass... 445 The Lie family indoors (top). Herman Lie's Nachlass... 446 The Lie family with Laura and and Lunds (bottom). Herman Lie's Nachlass............................................... 446 Lie, autumn 1888, while visiting Norway (Zeft). (left). Joronn Vogt................ 447 Sophus Lie obituary sketch in Verdens Gang (right). Gustav Lrerum, Verdens Gang / Norwegian National Library, Oslo......... 447 Deathbed drawing by Erik Werenskiold 19/02/1899. Pencil sketch, 32.5 x 26.5 cm. Erik Werenskiold / BONO 2000/ Photo: O. V rering... 448
List of Illustrations XI Main Deichman Library, Oslo. Fresco: Axel Revold / BONO 2000/ Photo: Bente Geving................................................. 453 Lie at a picnic on a visit to Norway, 1888. Herman Lie's Nachlass... 491 Sigurd Lie, Sophus Lie's composer nephew, by Severin Segelcke, 1896. Photo: o. Vrering................................................... 492 Felix Klein (top left). Photo: Bieling, Gottingen, Göttingen, 1905/ AKG Photo, Berlin..... 493 Friedrich Engel (top right). Mathematics Library, University of Oslo......... 493 Eduard Study (bottom left). Mathematics Library, University of Oslo... 493 Hermann Weyl (bottom right). Mathematisches Forschungsinstitut, Oberwolfach-Walke, Germany................ 493 Bust of Sophus Lie, by Elisabeth Steen (top). Bronze, 1992. Elisabeth Steen / BONO 2000/ Photo: Bakke Foto, Nordfjordeid....... 494 The grave of Sophus and Anna Lie (bottom). Photo: Bente Geving... 494 Front page AJtenposten Aftenposten on Elie Cartan's visit to the International Congress of Mathematics in Oslo where he lectured on Sophus Lie and Group Theory, 1936. Aftenposten / Norwegian National Library, Mo i Rana...... 495