Richard Hubert Bruck (December 26, 1914 – December 18, 1991) was an American

mathematician A mathematician is someone who uses an extensive knowledge of mathematics in their work, typically to solve mathematical problems. Mathematicians are concerned with numbers, data, quantity, structure, space, models, and change. History On ...

best known for his work in the field of

algebra Algebra () is one of the broad areas of mathematics. Roughly speaking, algebra is the study of mathematical symbols and the rules for manipulating these symbols in formulas; it is a unifying thread of almost all of mathematics. Elementary ...

, especially in its relation to

projective geometry In mathematics, projective geometry is the study of geometric properties that are invariant with respect to projective transformations. This means that, compared to elementary Euclidean geometry, projective geometry has a different setting, ...

and combinatorics. Bruck studied at the

University of Toronto The University of Toronto (UToronto or U of T) is a public university, public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, located on the grounds that surround Queen's Park (Toronto), Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 ...

, where he received his doctorate in 1940 under the supervision of

Richard Brauer Richard Dagobert Brauer (February 10, 1901 – April 17, 1977) was a leading German and American mathematician. He worked mainly in abstract algebra, but made important contributions to number theory. He was the founder of modular represent ...

. He spent most his career as a

professor Professor (commonly abbreviated as Prof.) is an academic rank at universities and other post-secondary education and research institutions in most countries. Literally, ''professor'' derives from Latin as a "person who professes". Professors ...

University of Wisconsin–Madison A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United Stat ...

, advising at least 31 doctoral students. He is best known for his 1949 paper coauthored with

H. J. Ryser Herbert John Ryser (July 28, 1923 – July 12, 1985) was a professor of mathematics, widely regarded as one of the major figures in combinatorics in the 20th century.Bruck–Ryser theorem (now known in a generalized form as the Bruck-Ryser-Chowla theorem), concerning the possible orders of finite projective planes. In 1946, he was awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship. In 1956, he was awarded the

Chauvenet Prize The Chauvenet Prize is the highest award for mathematical expository writing. It consists of a prize of $1,000 and a certificate, and is awarded yearly by the Mathematical Association of America in recognition of an outstanding expository article ...

for his articl
''Recent Advances in the Foundations of Euclidean Plane Geometry''
In 1962, he was an

invited speaker at the International Congress of Mathematicians This is a list of International Congresses of Mathematicians Plenary and Invited Speakers. Being invited to talk at an International Congress of Mathematicians has been called "the equivalent, in this community, of an induction to a hall of fame." ...

in Stockholm. In 1963, he was a Fulbright Lecturer at the

University of Canberra The University of Canberra (UC) is a public research university with its main campus located in Bruce, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory. The campus is within walking distance of Westfield Belconnen, and from Canberra's Civic Centre. U ...

. In 1965 a ''Groups and Geometry'' conference was held at the University of Wisconsin in honor of Bruck's retirement. Dick Bruck and his wife Helen were supporters of the fine arts. They were patrons of the regional ''American Players Theatre'' in Wisconsin.Listed in the summer 1985 playbill of the APT as patron contributors in 1984.

Selected publications

* * * * * * * * (3rd ed. in 1971, ) * *

Notes

External links

Biography at the University of Texas

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bruck, Richard 1914 births 1991 deaths 20th-century American mathematicians University of Wisconsin–Madison faculty University of Toronto alumni Combinatorialists