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John was born on this date in Budapest, Hungary and became one of the world’s foremost mathematicians by his early twenties.
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John Von Neumann received his degree in Chemical Engineering at the Swiss Federal Institute in Zurich in 1925
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His work “An Axiomatization of Set Theory” demonstrated axiomatic set theory and logics, problems in quantum mechanics, and special mathematical functions
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He also went on to obtain his Doctorate in mathematics at University of Budapest.
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John von Neumann published “Theory of Parlor Games,” a key paper in the field of game theory. "Game Theory" focused on elements of bluffing and probability theory.
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von Neumann gave a lecture at IAS in 1932: “On Certain Equations of Economics and a Generalization of Brouwer’s Fixed Point Theorem." It was about seminal contribution to linear and nonlinear programming in economics and this was later published in 1937.
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John became one of the first professors at the Institute for Advanced Study (IAS), Princeton, New Jersey.
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He introduced a theory of rings of operators in his development of mathematical techniques suited to quantum phenomena.
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J. Robert Oppenheimer invited John to work on the Manhattan Project. He helped work on the hydrodynamics and implosion design for an atomic bomb.
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John modified the U.S. Army’s hard-wired ENIAC to run as a stored-program machine. Later, he then lobbied to build an improved computer at IAS.
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Along with Klaus Fuchs, John filed a secret patent on "Improvement in Methods and Means for Utilizing Nuclear Energy." It outlined the specifications of using a fission bomb to compress fusion fuel for nuclear implosion.
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John von Neumann became a consultant to the Weapons Systems Evaluation Group (WSEG). He advised the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the US Secretary of Defense for developing new technologies and nuclear weapons.
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For two years John served as a member of the Atomic Energy Commission. He was an architect of the policy of nuclear deterrence. This was developed by President Dwight D. Eisenhower’s administration.
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John received the Medal for Freedom in 1956. Also, he received the Enrico Fermi Award and Albert Einstein Commemorative Award.
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John von Neumann's mind of solving and thinking finally came to a rest as he died in 1957, 18 months after diagnosed with cancer.
