Johann Benedict Listing

Johann Benedict Listing was a German mathematician and physicist who lived from 1808 to 1882. He is best known for his early work in a field of mathematics called topology.

Listing was one of the first people to study and organize ideas about how shapes can be stretched and twisted without tearing. His ideas helped lay the foundation for this important area of mathematics, which has many uses today in science and technology.

Because of his important contributions, the word “topology” itself comes from one of Listing’s own writings. His work continues to influence mathematicians and scientists around the world.

Early life and education

J. B. Listing was born in Frankfurt and later passed away in Göttingen. He studied mathematics and architecture at the University of Göttingen, but he was also very interested in subjects like terrestrial magnetism and how our eyes see the world, called optics. In 1834, he earned his doctorate under Carl Friedrich Gauss. After that, he traveled for three years with Wolfgang Sartorius von Waltershausen to learn about the volcanic activity of Mount Etna in Sicily.

Career

Johann Benedict Listing started his career in 1837 as a teacher of machine drawing, machine theory, and applied mathematics in Hanover. Later, in 1839, he became a professor of physics, and in 1849, he moved to teaching mathematics in Göttingen. He worked with a friend who studied eyes to learn more about how our eyes move.

Listing was encouraged by his teacher Gauss to focus on a special area of math called topology. In 1847, he wrote a book that helped make the word “topology” well-known. He also discovered special shapes, like the Möbius strip, and studied their properties. In addition to his work in math, Listing helped describe how our eyes work together and even created a new word, “geoid,” to describe the shape of the Earth.

Personal life

Johann Benedict Listing had a younger daughter named Anna. Anna's daughter became a well-known British war artist named Anna Airy.