Jesper Lützen
Assistant Professor
Department of Mathematical Sciences
Universitetsparken 5
2100 København Ø
Personal dates
Born October 8. 1951 in Svendborg Denmark
Degrees
Summer 1970: Studentereksamen (matematisk-fysisk linie) from Svendborg Statsskole.
Summer 1976: Naturvidenskabelig Embedseksamen (Master of science) from AarhusUniversity,
Denmark. Main subject: mathematics, Second Subject: physics
April 1980: Licentiat (Ph.D.) in History of Science from AarhusUniversity
August 1990 Doctor Scientiarum (big doctorate degree ~ Habilitation) from CopenhagenUniversity
Appointments
Fall 1976: Adjunktvikar (assistant) at the Mathematics Department, AarhusUniversity
January 1977-june 1979: Ph.D. student at the Institute forHistory of Science, AarhusUniversity
Fall 1979: Teacher training position at Nyborg Gymnasium (high school)
Feb1, 1980-June 15. 1980: Adjunktvikar (assistant) at the Institute for History of Science, Aarhus
University
June 15. 1980-Aug 1. 1980: Visiting Fellow at the History of Science, YaleUniversity,
U.S.A., financed by a NATO scholarship
August 1. 1980-Jan. 1. 1982: Adjunktvikar, and after November 1. 1980 lektorvikar (temporary
associate professor) at the Mathematics Department, OdenseUniversity
February 1 1982: Seniorstipendiat (post. doc) At the Mathematics Department, OdenseUniversity
September 1. 1985-May 31 1989: Lektor (associate professor) at the Mathematics Department,
CopenhagenUniversity
June 1. 1989- December 31. 2004:Docent (between associate and full professor) at the Mathematics
Department, CopenhagenUniversity
January 1. 2005-January 31. 2022 : Full Professor at the Mathematics Department, CopenhagenUniversity
February 1. 2022: Professor Emeritus at the Department of Mathematical Sciences, University of Copenhagen.
September 1. 2022: Part time assistant professor at the Department of Mathematical Sciences, University of Copenhagen.
Extended Visits Abroad
Fall 1978: Visiting Fellow at the Mathematics Department, Utrecht University, Netherlands
Spring 1979: Graduate Fellow at History of Science, Yale University, U.S.A.
Summer 1980: Visiting Fellow at History of Science, YaleUniversity, U.S.A
1981-1987: Many stays of several months in Paris, France. (13 months total)
September 15-Dec 31. 1990 and March 1.-July 31. 1991: Visiting Professor at the Institute for
The History and Philosophy of Science and Technology, University of Toronto, Canada
January 1. - February 28. 1991: Mittag Leffler Institute, Djursholm Sweeden
February 1. - August 1. 1992: Department of Mathematics, University of California,Santa Barbara
January 9. - August 1. 1994: Resident fellow at the Dibner Institute, MIT, U.S.A.
January 1. - July 31. 1998: Resident Fellow at the Dibner Institute, MIT, U.S.A.
June 25. 2001-July14. 2002: Visiting Professor at California Institute of Technology (Caltech) USA
July 15. 2006-July 15. 2007: Visiting Professor at California Institute of Technology (Caltech) USA
May 1. – July 31. 2011: Visiting Professor at the Federal University of Pernambuco, Brazil
Prizes
February 10. 1982: Fyns Stiftstidende’s Research Prize.
June 19. 1988: Børge Jessens Diplom (for well presented lectures)
September 1. 2000: Formidlingspris (prize for good popularisation of science) of the Natural
Science Faculty, University of Copenhagen.
September 5. 2003. Undervisningspris (teaching prize) of the Natural Science Faculty, University of
Copenhagen.
Membership of Academies and Scientific Societies
Fall 1988: Corresponding member of the InternationalAcademy of the History of Science
September 1993: Full member of the InternationalAcademy of the History of Science
March 28 1996: Member of the Science Class of The RoyalDanishAcademy of Sciences and
Letters
Member of The Danish Mathematical Society, The American Mathematical Society, The History of
Science Society (USA), The Danish Society for the History of Science
Editorial work
On the editorial board of Archive for the History of Exact Sciences, Historia mathematica, and the book series Sources and Studies in the History of Mathematics and Physical Sciences (Springer) and Arkimedes. New Studies in the History of Science and Technology. (Kluwer).
Other Scientific Tasks
2007-2012: Secretary of the (Danish) Society for the History of Science
From 2012: President of the (Danish) Society for the History of Science
From 2009? Head of the Danish National Committee for the History and Philosophy of Science
2011-15: Representative for The International Mathematical Union (IMU) in the International Commission on the History of Mathematics (ICHM)
2011-16 Vice chair for education at the Department of Mathematical Sciences, University of Copenhagen
Primary fields of research
The history of mathematics in the period 1800 to 1950. The history of analysis and mechanics
Current research
History of mathematical impossibility theorems from Greek antiquity to the present
Teaching
History of mathematics. An introductory course on the Bachelor education in mathematics and a more specialiced course for Master students in mathematics.
Course on discrete mathematics and introduction to mathematical method, in particular proofs to all first year mathematics students
Fields of interest
History of mathematics. History of science
ID: 9173
Most downloads
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109
downloads
Hjelmslev's geometry of reality
Research output: Contribution to journal › Journal article › Research › peer-review
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78
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How mathematical impossibility changed welfare economics: A history of Arrow's impossibility theorem
Research output: Contribution to journal › Journal article › Research › peer-review
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74
downloads
The mystery of ten wooden blocks: Hjelmslev’s geometry of reality
Research output: Contribution to journal › Journal article › Research › peer-review
Published