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San Antonio Presentation Joint Mathematics Meetings Special Session on Mathematics in Poland: Interbellum, World War II, and Immediate Post-War Developments San Antonio, Texas 12 January 2015 Mathematicians and the 1920 Polish Soviet War James T. Smith, Professor Emeritus San Francisco State University Presentation derived from our new book: Cast . Wacław Sierpiński ..............1882–1969 Stefan Mazurkiewicz ............1888–1945 Stanisław Leśniewski............1886–1939 Alfred Teitelbaum (Tarski) ........1901–1983 Maria Witkowska (Tarska) .........1902–1990 Events known to historians of Poland, but not to historians of mathematics. Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth in 1619, at its maximum extent *———* Central Europe in 1914 *———* μ Eastern Front Line, 1916 Warsaw was relatively peaceful, until the armistice. *———* Central Europe in 1918 Poland’s Eastern Boundary in Dispute In Fall 1918 Alfred Teitelbaum entered the University of Warsaw . intending to concentrate in biology. But it closed for a year due to continuing strife with remaining German troops. For 1919/1920 Alfred re-enrolled, but in courses on mathematics and logic. Spring Semester Stefan Mazurkiewicz, calculus Wacław Sierpiński, number theory, measure theory Stanisław Leśniewski, foundations of math. Stefan Pieńkowski, physics New Poland, new University, new subject, new aspirations! [The portrait shown in San Antonio was incorrect.] Stefan Wacław Stanisław Mazurkiewicz Sierpiński Leśniewski • Polish mathematics was developing marvelously in 1920. • Mazurkiewicz and Sierpiński were invited to the 1920 IMC in Strasbourg. • But they declined. • What else were these 3 professors doing? *———* Central Europe in June 1920 Eastward Advance of the Polish Army Bolshevik freedom To Arms! Give you room This is what a village Give you freedom Hey! occupied by Bolsheviks Give you the land Whoever is a Pole looked like. Work and bread To your Bayonets!! Basely cheated Made war with Poland Instead of freedom—the fist Instead of land—requisition Instead of working—misery Instead of bread—hunger *———* Central Europe in August 1920 Westward Rebound of the Soviet Army • In 1919, Polish Colonel Jan Kowalewski broke Ukrainian codes º Poles’ decision to push Eastward. • Assembled Cipher Bureau ¡ those 3 mathematicians. • They broke the Soviet codes. • Kowalewski sent coded false orders causing Soviets to halt short of Lwów, enabling Poles to keep them down there. [Sierpiński º his son º Stanisław Ulam º Janusz Czyż] • All Soviet communiqués decoded º Poles’ routing Soviets & chasing them Northward out of Poland. [Pepłoński] • Almost no information about these events until 1990. • Principal source now: Nowik, Grzegorz. 2004–2010. Before ENIGMA Was Broken: ... Polish Radio- Intelligence During ... 1918–1920. 2 vols. [Polish] • I also mentioned Pepłoński, Andrzej. 1995. Polski wywiad wojskowy w okresie bitwy warszaw- skiej w sierpniu 1920r. Niepodległość i pamięć 1995(2), 39–49. Czyż, Janusz. 1990. “Enigmatyczna” wojna 1920 r. Wiedza i życie 44: 44–48. • Good introduction: Bury, Jan. 2004. Polish codebreaking during the Russo-Polish war of 1919–1920. Cryptologia 28: 193–203. [English] Stefan Mazurkiewicz (1888–1945) • Needs a full biography. • A founder of modern Polish mathematics. • Probably the instigator of the decoding effort. • 1920 duel with some Army officer; divorce; former wife married Colonel Kowalewski. • Major contributions to analysis and probability. • Continued with Cipher Bureau until ??. • That º 1930s Polish decoding German Enigma. Alfred Teitelbaum (1901–1983) • Volunteered in medical unit during summer 1920. • Jewish volunteers not very welcome. • In 1924, became Alfred Tarski. *———* Central Europe in June 1920 Eastward Advance of the Polish Army Maria Witkowska (1902–1990) • From Mińsk. • Father & grandfather W. once exiled for politics. • Grandfather J. killed by Germans in 1918 battle. • Maria had 3 sisters & a brother. • Father, then 78, murdered before them by Soviets in 1919. • With 2 sisters joined Polish Maria Józefa paramilitary. B. Zahorski Agnieszka • All 3 decorated for valor. • Maria met Alfred where they worked, at the Third Boys’ Gimnazjum of the Trade Union of Polish Secondary-School Teachers. • They married in 1929. • Alfred taught there full-time until September 1939. Late-1930s portraits by Ignacy Witkiewicz [Witkacy] Thank you for your interest! Joanna & Andrew McFarland James T. Smith Witold Kozlowski (1919– ) Professor Emeritus Tarski’s high-school student San Francisco State University.
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