Editing Richard Courant (section)

==Life and career==
Courant was born in [[Lubliniec|Lublinitz]], in the [[Kingdom of Prussia|Prussian]] [[Province of Silesia]] (now in Poland). His parents were Siegmund Courant and Martha Freund of [[Oels]]. [[Edith Stein]] was Richard's cousin on the maternal side. During his youth his parents moved often, including to [[Kłodzko|Glatz]], then to [[Wrocław|Breslau]] and in 1905 to [[Berlin]]. He stayed in Breslau and entered the [[University of Wrocław|university]] there, then continued his studies at the [[University of Zürich]] and the [[University of Göttingen]]. He became [[David Hilbert]]'s assistant in Göttingen and obtained his doctorate there in 1910. He was obliged to serve in [[World War I]], but was wounded shortly after enlisting and therefore dismissed from the military. Courant left the [[University of Münster]] in 1921 to take over [[Erich Hecke]]{{'}}s position at the [[University of Göttingen]].<ref>{{Cite book| publisher = Springer Science & Business Media| isbn = 978-3-642-22464-5| last = Bergmann| first = Birgit| title = Transcending Tradition: Jewish Mathematicians in German Speaking Academic Culture| date = 2012-10-22|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7z8DTwXGO-oC&pg=PA82}}</ref> There he founded the Mathematical Institute, which he headed as director from 1928 until 1933.

Courant left [[Nazi Germany|Germany]] in 1933, earlier than many [[Jewish]] escapees. He did not lose his position due to being Jewish, as his previous service as a front-line soldier exempted him; however, his public membership in the [[Social Democratic Party of Germany|social-democratic left]] was reason enough (for the Nazis) for dismissal.<ref>{{cite journal|
 title=Edmund Landau's Göttingen: From the Life and Death of a Great Mathematical Center|
 first=Norbert|
 last=Schappacher|
 journal=The Mathematical Intelligencer|
 year=1991|
 volume=13|
 issue=4|
 pages=12–18|
 url=http://www-irma.u-strasbg.fr/~schappa/NSch/Publications_files/1991b_Landau.pdf|
 archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20161109153147/http://www-irma.u-strasbg.fr/~schappa/NSch/Publications_files/1991b_Landau.pdf|
 archive-date=2016-11-09|
 access-date=2024-11-30|
 doi=10.1007/bf03028334
|
 s2cid=124714271}}</ref>

In 1936, after one year at [[Cambridge University|Cambridge]], Courant accepted a professorship at [[New York University]] in New York City. There he founded an institute for graduate studies in [[applied mathematics]]. The [[Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences]] (as it was renamed in 1964) is now one of the most respected research centers in applied mathematics.<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.usnews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-science-schools/applied-mathematics-rankings | title = Best Applied Math Programs | publisher = U.S.News}}</ref>

Courant and [[David Hilbert]] authored the influential [[textbook]] ''[[Methoden der mathematischen Physik]]'', which, with its revised editions, is still current and widely used since its publication in 1924. With [[Herbert Robbins]] he coauthored a popular overview of higher mathematics, intended for the general public, titled ''[[What is Mathematics?]]''. With [[Fritz John]] he also coauthored the two-volume work ''Introduction to Calculus and Analysis,'' first published in 1965.<ref name="Mathematics of Computation 1966 review of Courant & John">{{cite journal | title=review by E.I. of Introduction to Calculus and Analysis volume 1 | journal=Mathematics of Computation | volume=20 | issue=96 | date=1966 | issn=0025-5718 | doi=10.1090/S0025-5718-66-99914-5 | pages=634–635}}</ref>

Courant's name is also attached to the [[finite element method]],<ref name=G.Pelosi>{{cite journal|title=The finite-element method, Part I: R. L. Courant: Historical Corner|journal=IEEE Antennas and Propagation Magazine|volume=49|issue=2|pages=180–182|author=Giuseppe Pelosi|year=2007|doi=10.1109/MAP.2007.376627|s2cid=36031031}}</ref> with his numerical treatment of the plain torsion problem for multiply-connected domains, published in 1943.<ref>
{{cite journal
|last=Courant
|first=Richard
|title=Variational methods for the solution of problems of equilibrium and vibrations
|journal=Bulletin of the American Mathematical Society
|year=1943
|doi= 10.1090/s0002-9904-1943-07818-4
|volume=49
|pages=1–24
|doi-access=free
}}</ref>
This method is now one of the ways to solve [[partial differential equation]]s [[numerical analysis|numerically]]. Courant is a namesake of the [[Courant–Friedrichs–Lewy condition]] and the [[Courant minimax principle]].

Courant was an elected member of both the [[American Philosophical Society]] (1953) and the United States [[National Academy of Sciences]] (1955).<ref>{{Cite web |title=APS Member History |url=https://search.amphilsoc.org/memhist/search?creator=Richard+Courant&title=&subject=&subdiv=&mem=&year=&year-max=&dead=&keyword=&smode=advanced |access-date=2023-02-06 |website=search.amphilsoc.org}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Richard Courant |url=http://www.nasonline.org/member-directory/deceased-members/20000990.html |access-date=2023-02-06 |website=www.nasonline.org}}</ref> In 1965, the [[Mathematical Association of America]] recognized his contributions to Mathematics with their  Award for Distinguished Service to Mathematics.<ref name="MAA Award for Distinguished Service">{{cite web | title=Yueh-Gin Gung and Dr. Charles Y. Hu Award for Distinguished Service | website=Mathematical Association of America | url=https://maa.org/programs-and-communities/member-communities/maa-awards/service-awards/yueh-gin-gung-and-dr-charles-y-hu-award-for-distinguished-service | 
archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240428154823/https://maa.org/programs-and-communities/member-communities/maa-awards/service-awards/yueh-gin-gung-and-dr-charles-y-hu-award-for-distinguished-service
| archive-date=2024-04-28 | access-date=2024-05-06}}</ref><ref name="Weaver 1965 Courant ">{{cite journal | last=Weaver | first=Warren | title=Award for Distinguished Service to Professor Richard Courant | journal=The American Mathematical Monthly | volume=72 | issue=1 | date=1965 | issn=0002-9890 | doi=10.1080/00029890.1965.11970481 | pages=1–2}}</ref>

Courant died of a [[stroke]] in [[New Rochelle, New York]] on January 27, 1972, aged 84.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1972/01/29/archives/dr-richard-courant-dies-at-84-influential-mathematics-scholar.html|title=Dr. Richard Courant Dies at 84; Influential Mathematics Scholar|first=Harry|last=Schwartz|date=1972-01-29|access-date=2022-07-16|website=[[The New York Times]]}}</ref>