Stanley Skewes
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Stanley Skewes | |
|---|---|
 Skewes (left) in Zürich 1932 | |
| Born | 29 June 1899 Germiston, South African Republic |
| Died | 19 December 1988 (Aged 89) Cape Town, South Africa |
| Alma mater | University of Cape Town University of Cambridge |
| Known for | Skewes's numbers |
| Spouse | Ena Allen |
| Scientific career | |
| Academic advisors | John Edensor Littlewood |
Stanley Skewes (/skjuːz/; 1899–1988) was a South African mathematician, best known for his discovery of the Skewes's number in 1933. He was one of John Edensor Littlewood's students at Cambridge University.[1][2] Skewes's numbers contributed to the refinement of the theory of prime numbers.
Skewes obtained a degree in civil engineering from the University of Cape Town before emigrating to England. He studied mathematics at Cambridge University and obtained a PhD in mathematics in 1938.[3]
He discovered the first Skewes's number in 1933[1][2]. This is also referred to as the Riemann true Skewes's number[4] owing to its relationship to the Riemann hypothesis as related to prime number theory. He discovered the second Skewes's number in 1955.[2][5] This number was applicable if the Riemann hypothesis is false. Since his original discovery the numbers have been further refined.
