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Arthur Maillefer

1880 – 1960

Swiss botanist

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About Arthur Maillefer

Lived 1880 – 1960 (aged 80). Arthur Maillefer was a Swiss botanist and university teacher.

Arthur Maillefer (25 July 1880 – 21 November 1960) was a Swiss botanist and plant geographer.

He studied numerous classic botanical disciplines, including plant systematics and floristics. He also was very modern in his use of numerical analysis and mathematics. For instance, he made one of the earliest null models in biogeography showing that - in records of plant or animal species over space - genera accumulate much faster than species and thereby refuting Paul Jaccard's interpretation of the species-to-genus ratio in Jaccard's dispute with Alvar Palmgren. Maillefer's statistical solution to the problem was later supported by an analytical solution by the Hungarian mathematician George Pólya.

Maillefer took his PhD at the University of Lausanne. He became extraordinary professor in 1919 and succeeded his former doctoral advisor, Ernst Wilczek, in the chair of botany in 1949. From 1938 to 1950, he was also director of the Botanical Museum of the Canton.

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Important facts

Birth century
Nationality
Education
University of Lausanne
Employers
University of Lausanne
Also known as
Maill.

People in Arthur Maillefer's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Arthur Maillefer's

Frequently asked questions

Who was Arthur Maillefer?

Swiss botanist (1880-1960)

When was Arthur Maillefer born?

Arthur Maillefer was born on 25 July 1880 in Lausanne.

When did Arthur Maillefer die?

Arthur Maillefer died on 21 November 1960 in Lausanne.

What was Arthur Maillefer's occupation?

Arthur Maillefer was a botanist and university teacher.

What nationality was Arthur Maillefer?

Arthur Maillefer was Swiss.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Arthur Maillefer

· Wikidata: Q2865224

· DBpedia: Arthur Maillefer

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Arthur Maillefer. https://biography.guide/arthur-maillefer/

MLA: "Arthur Maillefer." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/arthur-maillefer/.

Chicago: "Arthur Maillefer." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/arthur-maillefer/.

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