Alwin Walther

Alwin Oswald Walther (6May 18984January 1967) was a German mathematician, engineer and professor. He is one of the pioneers of mechanical computing technology in Germany.

Life

Alwin Walther was born in May 1898 in Reick near Dresden. He was wounded twice and received the Iron Cross 1st Class. From 1922 to 1928, he was assistant and senior Assistant to Richard Courant at the Mathematical Institute at the University of Göttingen.

Walther retired on 30 September 1966.

Peter Schnell, founder of Software AG, Rudolf Zurmühl and Helmut Hoelzer, the inventor and constructor of the world's first electronic analog computer, were his students. The focus of the institute was on the development of electronic arithmetic. Already at the end of the thirties, he set up a computing station in his institute.

The Institute for Applied Mathematics contributed to Zuse's Z4 by providing parts and components.

Due to the reputation that the TH Darmstadt had at the time in computer science research, the first international congress on computer science held in German-speaking countries took place in October 1955 at the TH Darmstadt.

Awards

1950: Honorary member of the Association of Friends of the Technische Universität Darmstadt. 1959: Silver Medal of the City of Paris on the occasion of his preparation for a UNESCO Congress for Information Processing 1963: Silver merit plaque of the city Darmstadt 1963: Honorary doctorate from the TU Dresden

Publications (selection)

Einführung in die mathematische Behandlung naturwissenschaftlicher Fragen, Springer, Berlin, 1928. Unterricht und Forschung im Institut für Praktische Mathematik (IPM) der Technischen Hochschule Darmstadt, Der mathematische Unterricht in der Bundesrepublik Deutschland, Kapitel XVIII, S. 260–274. Fastperiodische Folgen und Potenzreihen mit fastperiodischen Koeffizienten; Abhandlungen aus dem Mathematischen Seminar der Universität Hamburg; 6,217–234 (1928).

Alwin-Walther-Medal From 1997 to 2010, the departments of computer science and mathematics at the Technische Universität Darmstadt awarded an Alwin-Walther-Medal for outstanding achievements, as well as for exceptional research and development work in the fields of computer science or applied mathematics.

Literature

Melanie Hanel: Normalität unter Ausnahmebedingungen. Die TH Darmstadt im Nationalsozialismus, Darmstadt 2014. Technische Universität Darmstadt: Technische Bildung in Darmstadt. Die Entwicklung der Technischen Hochschule 1836–1996, Volume 4, Darmstadt 1998. Wilhelm Barth: Alwin Walther – Praktische Mathematik und Computer an der THD, in: Technische Hochschule Darmstadt Jahrbuch 1978/79, Darmstadt, 1979, S. 29–34. Alwin Walther: Pionier des Wissenschaftlichen Rechnens, Wissenschaftliches Kolloquium anlässlich des hundertsten Geburtstages, 8. Mai 1998, Darmstadt 1999, published by Hans-Jürgen Hoffmann. Christa Wolf and Marianne Viefhaus: Verzeichnis der Hochschullehrer der TH Darmstadt, Darmstadt 1977.