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astronomy

Klaus Schmitt

Klaus Schmitt is a astronomy 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 Klaus Schmitt rather than just read about it. In short: Klaus Schmitt (May 1940, Rimbach/Odenwald – April 2025 Mesquite, Nevada) was an American mathematician doing research in nonlinear differential equations, and nonlinear analysis. Schmitt completed the Abitur at Rimbach's Martin-Luther-Schule in 1960.

Klaus Schmitt — main illustration
Klaus Schmitt — illustration

Key takeaways

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

Reference excerpt

Klaus Schmitt (May 1940, Rimbach/Odenwald – April 2025 Mesquite, Nevada) was an American mathematician doing research in nonlinear differential equations, and nonlinear analysis. Schmitt completed the Abitur at Rimbach's Martin-Luther-Schule in 1960. He received a BA in mathematics and physics from St. Olaf College in 1962, an MA (1964) and PhD in mathematics from the University of Nebraska in 1967. He began his 43-year career at the University of Utah in 1967, first as assistant, then associate, then as full professor of mathematics. He also served as chairman of the department of mathematics from 1989 to 1992. Schmitt served short-term appointments as visiting professor at the University of Würzburg, University of Karlsruhe, University of Stuttgart, University Catholique de Louvain, University of Bremen, Technische Universität Berlin, University of Heidelberg, University of Kaiserslautern, University of Sydney, Universidad de Chile, Universidad Catolica de Chile, National Chengchi University in Taiwan, National Tsing Hua University in Taiwan and the Chern Institute of Mathematics in Tianjin, China. He retired from the University of Utah as professor emeritus of mathematics in 2010. Schmitt was awarded the Humboldt Prize in mathematics in 1978 and was honored as a University of Nebraska Distinguished Alumnus in 2000.

Selected publications "Boundary value problems for quasilinear elliptic partial differential equations", Nonlinear Analysis, 2 (1978), 263–309. "Nonlinear elliptic boundary value problems versus their finite difference approximations: Numerically irrelevant solutions" (with H.O. Peitgen and D. Saupe), Journal für die reine und angewandte Mathematik (Crelle's Journal), 322 (1981), 74–117. "Global analysis of elliptic two parameter eigenvalue problems" (with H.O. Peitgen), Transactions of the American Mathematical Society, 283(1984), 57–95. "Global aspects of the discrete and continuous Newton method: A case study" (with H.O. Peitgen and M. Prüfer), Acta Applicandae Mathematicae, 13 (1988), 123–202. "On positive solutions of semilinear elliptic equations" (with E.N. Dancer), Proceedings of the American Mathematical Society, 101 (1987), 445–452. "Permanence and dynamics in biological systems" (with V. Hutson), Mathematical Biosciences, 111 (1992), 1-71. "Landesman-Lazer type problems at an eigenvalue of odd multiplicity" (with J. Mawhin), Results in Mathematics, 14 (1988), 138–146. "Positive solutions and conjugate points for systems of differential equations" (with H. Smith), Nonlinear Analysis: Theory, Methods & Applications, 2 (1978), 93–105. "Asymptotic behavior of positive solution branches of semilinear elliptic problems with linear part at resonance" (with R. Schaaf), Zeitschrift für Angewandte Mathematik und Physik, 43 (1992), 645–676. "Minimization problems for noncoercive functionals subject to constraints" (with V. K. Le), Transactions of the American Mathematical Society, 347 (1995), 4485–4513. Global Bifurcation in Variational Inequalities: Applications to Obstacle and Unilateral Problems (with L. K. Vy), vol 123, Applied Mathematical Sciences, Springer Verlag, New York, 1997. "Mountain pass type solutions of quasilinear elliptic equations" (with P. Clément, M. García-Huidobro, and R. Manásevich), Calculus of Variations and Partial Differential Equations, 11 (2000), 33–62. "On the existence of soliton solutions to quasilinear Schrödinger equations" (with M. Poppenberg and Z. Wang), Calculus of Variations and Partial Differential Equations, 14 (2002), 329–344. "The Liouville-Bratu-Gelfand problem for radial operators" (with J. Jacobsen), J. Differential Equations, 184(2002), 283–298. "On principal eigenvalues for quasilinear elliptic differential operators: an Orlicz-Sobolev space setting" (with M. García-Huidobro, V. Le, R. Manásevich), Nonlinear Differential Equations and Applications, 6 (1999), 207–225. "Radial solutions of quasilinear elliptic equations" (with J. Jacobsen), pp. 359–435 in Handbook on Differential Equations, Canada, Drabek, Fonda, editors. Elsevier, Amsterdam, 2004.

References

Illustrations

Klaus Schmitt: Portrait of Professor Klaus Schmitt
Portrait of Professor Klaus Schmitt

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Klaus Schmitt

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

In research
Klaus Schmitt appears in astronomy 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 Klaus Schmitt 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
Klaus Schmitt is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 1940 births, 2025 deaths, American mathematicians, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life
Look for Klaus Schmitt 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 Klaus Schmitt in 20 minutes

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

Frequently asked questions

What is Klaus Schmitt in simple terms?

Klaus Schmitt (May 1940, Rimbach/Odenwald – April 2025 Mesquite, Nevada) was an American mathematician doing research in nonlinear differential equations, and nonlinear analysis. Schmitt completed the Abitur at Rimbach's Martin-Luther-Schule in 1960.

Why does Klaus Schmitt matter?

Because it connects several astronomy 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 Klaus Schmitt?

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 Klaus Schmitt.

Tags

  • 1940 births
  • 2025 deaths
  • American mathematicians
  • St. Olaf College alumni
  • University of Nebraska–Lincoln alumni
  • University of Utah people

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