Karl Stein

Karl Stein (1 January 1913 in Hamm, Westphalia – 19 October 2000) was a German mathematician. He is well known for complex analysis and cryptography. Stein manifolds and Stein factorization are named after him.

Career Karl Stein received his doctorate with his dissertation on the topic Zur Theorie der Funktionen mehrerer komplexer Veränderlichen; Die Regularitätshüllen niederdimensionaler Mannigfaltigkeiten at the University of Münster under the supervision of Heinrich Behnke in 1937. Karl Stein was conscripted into the Wehrmacht sometime before 1942, and trained as a cryptographer to work at OKW/Chi, the Cipher Department of the High Command of the Wehrmacht. He was assigned to manage the OKW/Chi IV, Subsection a, which was a unit responsible for security of own processes, cipher devices testing, and invention of new cipher devices. He managed a staff of 11 In 1955, he became professor at the Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München and emeritated in 1981. In 1990, he received the first Cantor medal.

Students Stein's doctoral students included , Otto Forster, Ivo Schneider, Gunther Schmidt and Martin Schottenloher.