mathematics

Jaap Murre

Jaap Murre is a mathematics 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 Jaap Murre rather than just read about it. In short: Jacob Pieter "Jaap" Murre (18 September 1929 – 9 April 2023) was a Dutch mathematician specializing in algebraic geometry. He was a professor of mathematics at Leiden University from 1961 to 1994.

Key takeaways

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

Reference excerpt

Jacob Pieter "Jaap" Murre (18 September 1929 – 9 April 2023) was a Dutch mathematician specializing in algebraic geometry. He was a professor of mathematics at Leiden University from 1961 to 1994.

Career Murre was born on 18 September 1929 in Baarland. At his small primary school one of his classmates and friends was later botanist Jan Zeevaart. Murre started studying mathematics at Delft University of Technology in 1947, he however switched to Leiden University where he obtained his degree in 1952. With the Italian school of algebraic geometry being in fashion he was inspired by his promotor to do doctoral research under André Weil at the University of Chicago, which he was able to do because of the Marshall Plan. In 1957 Murre obtained his doctorate under Hendrik Kloosterman with a thesis titled: Over multipliciteiten van maximaal samenhangende bossen. By 1958 Murre became inspired by Alexander Grothendieck and managed to collaborate with him. In 1959 he was appointed associate professor (lector) at Leiden University. In 1961 he became professor of mathematics at the same institute, with a teaching assignment in algebraic geometry. Frans Oort was the first doctoral student he supervised, but Oort had to formally promote under Wil van Est as his promotion came one month before Murre's appointment. During his career Murre traveled frequently. He amongst others went to India to study with C. S. Seshadri and to the United Kingdom where he met David Mumford, who inspired him to work on algebraic cycles. In Italy he collaborated with Alberto Conte, who became a friend. He also befriended American mathematician Spencer Bloch. In the 1990s he published on the Chow group. Murre retired as professor in 1994. Murre was elected a member of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences in 1971. In 2002 he obtained an honorary doctorate from the University of Turin. Murre was elected a foreign member of the Accademia delle Scienze di Torino in 2004. Murre died on 9 April 2023 at the age of 93.

References

External links Profile at Leiden University Jaap Murre at the Mathematics Genealogy Project

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Jaap Murre

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Jaap Murre claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In mathematics, 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 Jaap Murre 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 Jaap Murre 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 Jaap Murre

In research: Jaap Murre appears in mathematics 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 Jaap Murre 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: Jaap Murre is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 1929 births, 2023 deaths, Academic staff of Leiden University, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Jaap Murre 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 Jaap Murre in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Jaap Murre 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 Jaap Murre out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Jaap Murre in simple terms?

Jacob Pieter "Jaap" Murre (18 September 1929 – 9 April 2023) was a Dutch mathematician specializing in algebraic geometry. He was a professor of mathematics at Leiden University from 1961 to 1994.

Why does Jaap Murre matter?

Because it connects several mathematics 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 Jaap Murre?

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 Jaap Murre.