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Paul Althaus Smith
- May 18, 1900
- June 13, 1980
- 80 years
About Paul Althaus Smith
Paul Althaus Smith, 80, American mathematician.
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|Paul Althaus Smith (May 18, 1900 – June 13, 1980) was an American mathematician. His name occurs in two significant conjectures in geometric topology: the Smith conjecture, which is now a theorem, and the Hilbert–Smith conjecture, which was proved in dimension 3 in 2013. Smith theory is a theory about homeomorphisms of finite order of manifolds, particularly spheres.
Smith was a student of Solomon Lefschetz at the University of Kansas, moving to Princeton University with Lefschetz in the mid-1920s. He finished his doctorate at Princeton, in 1926. His Ph.D. thesis was published in the Annals of Mathematics that same year. He also worked with George David Birkhoff, with whom he wrote a 1928 paper in ergodic theory, entitled Structure analysis of surface transformations, which appeared in the Journal des Mathématiques.
He subsequently became a professor at Columbia University and at Barnard College. His students at Columbia included Sherman K. Stein and Moses Richardson. He has many academic descendants through Richardson and his student Louis Billera.
Family
Smith was married to the Swiss–American early music pioneer Suzanne Bloch. They had two children.
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Sources
- Wikipedia
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Althaus_Smith
- CC BY-SA 4.0
- Sep 26, 2026
- View article
- View record
- October 21, 2026
- Sep 26, 2026
Trivia & Knowledge· 15 questions
Questions drawn from Paul Althaus Smith's archived record and the sources above.
1.On what date was the American mathematician Paul Althaus Smith born?
- A.June 13, 1928
- B.May 18, 1900correct
- C.May 18, 1926
- D.June 13, 1980
Paul Althaus Smith was born on May 18, 1900.
Source: introductory paragraph
2.What is the specific focus of the mathematical concept known as Smith theory?
- A.Statistical analysis of geometric probability
- B.The curvature of infinite algebraic planes
- C.The derivation of ergodic transformations
- D.Homeomorphisms of finite order of manifoldscorrect
Smith theory is defined in the text as a theory about homeomorphisms of finite order of manifolds, particularly spheres.
Source: introductory paragraph
3.Who served as Paul Althaus Smith's professor during his time at the University of Kansas?
- A.Solomon Lefschetzcorrect
- B.George David Birkhoff
- C.Louis Billera
- D.Sherman K. Stein
Paul Althaus Smith was a student of Solomon Lefschetz at the University of Kansas.
Source: academic education section
4.In what year did Paul Althaus Smith earn his doctorate?
- A.1900
- B.1928
- C.1926correct
- D.1980
Paul Althaus Smith finished his doctorate at Princeton in 1926.
Source: academic education section
5.In which academic journal was Paul Althaus Smith's Ph.D. thesis published in 1926?
- A.Columbia Mathematical Studies
- B.Princeton Review
- C.Journal des Mathématiques
- D.Annals of Mathematicscorrect
Paul Althaus Smith's Ph.D. thesis was published in the Annals of Mathematics in 1926.
Source: academic education section
6.What was the title of the paper Paul Althaus Smith co-wrote with George David Birkhoff in 1928?
- A.Approximation of curves and surfaces
- B.The Hilbert–Smith conjecture
- C.Homeomorphisms of finite order
- D.Structure analysis of surface transformationscorrect
Paul Althaus Smith wrote a 1928 paper titled Structure analysis of surface transformations with George David Birkhoff.
Source: academic education section
7.At which institution did Paul Althaus Smith hold a professorship?
- A.Princeton University
- B.University of Kansas
- C.Columbia Universitycorrect
- D.Swiss Federal Institute
Paul Althaus Smith became a professor at Columbia University and Barnard College.
Source: career section
8.Who was one of Paul Althaus Smith's students at Columbia University?
- A.Sherman K. Steincorrect
- B.Louis Billera
- C.George David Birkhoff
- D.Solomon Lefschetz
Sherman K. Stein is explicitly listed as a student of Paul Althaus Smith at Columbia University.
Source: career section
9.How many children did Paul Althaus Smith and Suzanne Bloch have?
- A.One
- B.Four
- C.Three
- D.Twocorrect
Paul Althaus Smith and Suzanne Bloch had two children.
Source: Family section
10.On what date did Paul Althaus Smith die?
- A.May 18, 1928
- B.May 18, 1900
- C.June 13, 1980correct
- D.June 13, 1926
Paul Althaus Smith died on June 13, 1980.
Source: introductory paragraph
11.What is the status of the Smith conjecture mentioned in the text?
- A.It is a subset of ergodic theory
- B.It remains unproven
- C.It is now a theoremcorrect
- D.It was disproven in 1926
The Smith conjecture is noted as being a theorem.
Source: introductory paragraph
12.Which of the following mathematicians is considered an academic descendant of Paul Althaus Smith?
- A.Solomon Lefschetz
- B.Suzanne Bloch
- C.George David Birkhoff
- D.Louis Billeracorrect
Louis Billera is an academic descendant of Paul Althaus Smith through Moses Richardson.
Source: career section
13.The Hilbert–Smith conjecture was proved in which dimension in 2013?
- A.Dimension 2
- B.Dimension 3correct
- C.Dimension 4
- D.Dimension 1
The Hilbert–Smith conjecture was proved in dimension 3 in 2013.
Source: introductory paragraph
14.What was the professional background of Suzanne Bloch, the wife of Paul Althaus Smith?
- A.Mathematics professor
- B.Geometric topologist
- C.Editor of the Annals of Mathematics
- D.Early music pioneercorrect
Suzanne Bloch was a Swiss–American early music pioneer.
Source: Family section
15.In which academic field is the paper 'Structure analysis of surface transformations' classified?
- A.Ergodic theorycorrect
- B.Musicology
- C.Algebraic geometry
- D.Topology
Paul Althaus Smith and George David Birkhoff wrote a 1928 paper in ergodic theory.
Source: academic education section
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