mathematics

Jurjen Ferdinand Koksma

Jurjen Ferdinand Koksma 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 Jurjen Ferdinand Koksma rather than just read about it. In short: Jurjen Ferdinand Koksma (21 April 1904, Schoterland – 17 December 1964, Amsterdam) was a Dutch mathematician who specialized in analytic number theory. Koksma received his Ph.D. degree (cum laude) in 1930 at the University of Groningen under supervision of Johannes van der Corput, with a thesis on Systems of Diophantine Inequalities.

Key takeaways

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

Reference excerpt

Jurjen Ferdinand Koksma (21 April 1904, Schoterland – 17 December 1964, Amsterdam) was a Dutch mathematician who specialized in analytic number theory. Koksma received his Ph.D. degree (cum laude) in 1930 at the University of Groningen under supervision of Johannes van der Corput, with a thesis on Systems of Diophantine Inequalities. Around the same time, aged 26, he was invited to become full professor at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. He accepted and in 1930 became the first professor in mathematics at this university. Koksma is also one of the founders of the Dutch Mathematisch Centrum (today Centrum Wiskunde & Informatica). One of Koksma's main works was the book Diophantische Approximationen, published in 1936 by Springer. He also wrote several papers with Paul Erdős. In 1950 he became member of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences. Koksma had two brothers, Jan and Marten, who were also mathematicians.

See also Denjoy–Koksma inequality Koksma's equivalent classification Koksma–Hlawka inequality Erdős–Turán–Koksma inequality

References

Literature Arie van Deursen: The distinctive character of the Free University in Amsterdam, 1880-2005, Eerdmans Publishing (2008).

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Jurjen Ferdinand Koksma

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Jurjen Ferdinand Koksma 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 Jurjen Ferdinand Koksma 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 Jurjen Ferdinand Koksma 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 Jurjen Ferdinand Koksma

In research: Jurjen Ferdinand Koksma 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 Jurjen Ferdinand Koksma 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: Jurjen Ferdinand Koksma is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 1904 births, 1964 deaths, 20th-century Dutch mathematicians, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Jurjen Ferdinand Koksma 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 Jurjen Ferdinand Koksma in 20 minutes

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

Frequently asked questions

What is Jurjen Ferdinand Koksma in simple terms?

Why does Jurjen Ferdinand Koksma 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 Jurjen Ferdinand Koksma?

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 Jurjen Ferdinand Koksma.