mathematics

Richard Birkeland

Richard Birkeland 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 Richard Birkeland rather than just read about it. In short: Richard Birkeland (6 June 1879 – 10 April 1928) was a Norwegian mathematician, author and professor. He is known for his contributions to the theory of algebraic equations.

Key takeaways

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

Reference excerpt

Richard Birkeland (6 June 1879 – 10 April 1928) was a Norwegian mathematician, author and professor. He is known for his contributions to the theory of algebraic equations.

Biography He was born at Farsund in Lister og Mandal county, Norway. He was the son of Theodor Birkeland (1834–1913) and Therese Karoline Overwien (1846–1883). He graduated from the Christiania Technical School in 1899. In 1906, he received a scholarship to study mathematics in Paris and Göttingen. He became a professor at the Norwegian Institute of Technology from 1910. He was rector of the Norwegian Institute of Technology and from 1923 professor at the University of Oslo. He was a co-founder of the Norwegian Mathematical Society in 1918 and he was its vice chairman in the early years. He was for a time chairman of Trondheim Polytechnic Association. He was decorated Knight of the Order of St. Olav.

Selected works Sur certaines singularités des équations différentielles (1909) Lærebok i matematisk analyse : differential- og integralregning, differentialligninger tillæg (1917)

Personal life He was a cousin of physics professor Kristian Birkeland (1867–1917). In 1909, he married Agnes Hoff (1883–1980). Their son Øivind (1910–2004) was a civil engineer.

References

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Richard Birkeland

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Richard Birkeland 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 Richard Birkeland 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 Richard Birkeland 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 Richard Birkeland

In research: Richard Birkeland 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 Richard Birkeland 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: Richard Birkeland is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 1879 births, 1928 deaths, Academic staff of the Norwegian Institute of Technology, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Richard Birkeland 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 Richard Birkeland in 20 minutes

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

Frequently asked questions

What is Richard Birkeland in simple terms?

Richard Birkeland (6 June 1879 – 10 April 1928) was a Norwegian mathematician, author and professor. He is known for his contributions to the theory of algebraic equations.

Why does Richard Birkeland 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 Richard Birkeland?

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 Richard Birkeland.