mathematics

Max Mason

Max Mason 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 Max Mason rather than just read about it. In short: Charles Max Mason (26 October 1877–22 March 1961), better known as Max Mason, was an American mathematician. He served the 4th president of the University of Chicago from 1925 to 1928 and as the third president of the Rockefeller Foundation from 1929 to 1936.

Key takeaways

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

Reference excerpt

Charles Max Mason (26 October 1877–22 March 1961), better known as Max Mason, was an American mathematician. He served the 4th president of the University of Chicago from 1925 to 1928 and as the third president of the Rockefeller Foundation from 1929 to 1936. Mason's mathematical research interests included differential equations, the calculus of variations, and electromagnetic theory.

Education B.Litt., 1898, University of Wisconsin-Madison Ph.D., Mathematics, University of Göttingen, 1903. Dissertation: "Randwertaufgaben bei gewöhnlichen Differentialgleichungen" (Boundary value functions with ordinary differential equations) Advisor: Hilbert

Career Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), 1903–1904, Instructor of Mathematics. Yale University, 1904–1908, Assistant Professor of Mathematics. University of Wisconsin–Madison, 1908–1909, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Associate Professor of Mathematics. University of Wisconsin–Madison, 1909–1925, Professor of Physics. National Research Council, 1917–1919, Submarine Committee. (Invented a submarine detection device, which was the basis for sonar detectors used in World War II.) University of Chicago, 1925–1928, President. Rockefeller Foundation, 1928–1929, Director, Natural Sciences Division. Rockefeller Foundation, 1929–1936, President. Palomar Observatory (California), 1936–1949, Chairman of the team directing the construction of the observatory. On 2 May 1945, he appeared on Edgar Bergen's radio show to chat about the new observatory and trade jokes with Charlie McCarthy. In 1948, he, along with Lee A. DuBridge, William A. Fowler, Linus Pauling, and Bruce H. Sage, was awarded the Medal for Merit by President Harry S. Truman.

Notes and references

External links Max Mason at the Mathematics Genealogy Project "Max Mason". University of Chicago Library. Archived from the original on April 17, 2016. Retrieved March 22, 2022.

Archival collections "Guide to the Max Mason Papers 1882–1961". University of Chicago Library. Archived from the original on March 8, 2022. Retrieved March 22, 2022. "Guide to the University of Chicago Office of the President, Mason Administration Records 1910–1929". University of Chicago Library. Archived from the original on March 2, 2022. Retrieved March 22, 2022. Max Mason papers, 1898-1961, Niels Bohr Library & Archives Max Mason papers, 1750-1815, Royal Observatory Edinburgh Charles Mason papers, 1750-1815, American Philosophical Society

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Max Mason

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Max Mason 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 Max Mason 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 Max Mason 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 Max Mason

In research: Max Mason 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 Max Mason 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: Max Mason is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 1877 births, 1961 deaths, 20th-century American mathematicians, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Max Mason 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 Max Mason in 20 minutes

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

Frequently asked questions

What is Max Mason in simple terms?

Why does Max Mason 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 Max Mason?

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 Max Mason.