biology

Hans J. Hofmann

Hans J. Hofmann is a biology topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Hans J. Hofmann rather than just read about it. In short: Hans Jörg Hofmann (3 October 1936, Kiel, Germany – 19 May 2010, Montreal, Quebec, Canada) was a paleontologist, specializing in the study of Precambrian fossils using computer modelling and image analysis to quantify morphologic attributes. Born in Germany, Hofmann immigrated to Montreal, Quebec, Canada and studied geology at McGill University, where he earned a Ph.D. under the supervision of T.

Key takeaways

Hans J. Hofmann belongs to biology; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Hans J. Hofmann to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Hans J. Hofmann from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Hans Jörg Hofmann (3 October 1936, Kiel, Germany – 19 May 2010, Montreal, Quebec, Canada) was a paleontologist, specializing in the study of Precambrian fossils using computer modelling and image analysis to quantify morphologic attributes. Born in Germany, Hofmann immigrated to Montreal, Quebec, Canada and studied geology at McGill University, where he earned a Ph.D. under the supervision of T. H. Clark. He taught for three years at the University of Cincinnati and then worked at the Geological Survey of Canada. He was a professor in the geology department of the Université de Montréal for 31 years (1969–2000). He spent the last ten years of his life as a researcher in the Redpath Museum and an adjunct professor in the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences at McGill. The National Academy of Sciences noted him for, "his pioneering discoveries of fossils that have illuminated life's early evolution, from Archean stromatolites and Proterozoic cyanobacteria, to the rise of multicellular organisms." Hofmann's contributions have shed light on the biologic, stratigraphic, and evolutionary significance of various stromatolites, microfossils, macrofossils, and trace fossils.

Awards 1995, Awarded the Willet G. Miller Medal by the Royal Society of Canada 2002, Awarded the Charles Doolittle Walcott Medal by the National Academy of Sciences

References

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Hans J. Hofmann

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Hans J. Hofmann claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In biology, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Hans J. Hofmann before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Hans J. Hofmann ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Hans J. Hofmann

In research: Hans J. Hofmann appears in biology research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Hans J. Hofmann in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Hans J. Hofmann is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 1936 births, 2010 deaths, Academic staff of the Université de Montréal, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Hans J. Hofmann outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Hans J. Hofmann in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Hans J. Hofmann means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Hans J. Hofmann out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Hans J. Hofmann in simple terms?

Why does Hans J. Hofmann matter?

Because it connects several biology ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Hans J. Hofmann?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Hans J. Hofmann.