 | The Möbius Strip Topology: History, Science, and Applications in Nanotechnology, Materials, and the Arts Subjects: Humanities; Physical Sciences; Materials Science; History; Chemistry; Physics; History of Science & Technology; Organic Chemistry; Atomic & Nuclear Physics; Like no other personality of the 18th and 19th century, Napoleon Bonaparte (1769-1821) and his incessant imperialist wars left lasting marks on the political and cultural profile of Central Europe. After the total defeat of Prussia against Napoleon's Grande Armée in 1806, fundamental reforms of the entire state system were carried out in Prussia, which were soon (partially) adopted by other German states. This also affected the educational system, and led to fundamental reforms for freedom of teaching and research in German universities. As a result, abstract mathematics and astronomy reached a "golden age" in German academic research, of which Carl Friedrich Gauss at Göttingen was an epochal example. August Ferdinand Möbius (1790-1868) was his doctoral student, whose life and work on mathematics and astronomy were profoundly influenced by him. This book reports on August Ferdinand Möbius in the mirror of his time, with its political and social peculiarities. As a matter of fact, Möbius' legacy reaches into today's sciences, arts, and architecture--and is rediscovered again and again--leading to new heights of scientific knowledge and cultural aesthetics. The famous one-sided Möbius strip is a paradigmatic example of the fascination and significance of mathematical topology for understanding unexpected consequences of complex object (de)formation. This is the first book to present numerous case studies on Möbius topology in mathematics, astronomy, chemistry, physics and nanomaterials, literature, arts, and architecture, covering the 18th-19th century up to the present years. It is written for experts and laymen alike, who are interested in the historical development of ideas in science and culture. Klaus Möbius received his Diploma in physics and chemistry (1962), his PhD in natural sciences (1965), and his Habilitation in experimental physics (1969) from the Free University Berlin (FUB), Germany. After his postdoctoral research at the University of California, USA, he joined FUB as a professor (1971). His magnetic resonance research on (bio)organic molecules was driven by national and international collaborations, for example, with groups in Berlin, Munich, Osnabrück, Mülheim (Ruhr), Jerusalem, Novosibirsk, Kazan, Moscow, Sendai, Leiden, Wroclaw, Padova, and Bologna. He has received numerous honors and awards, such as the Max Planck Research Award (1992); Roessler Lecturer Award, Cornell University, New York (2001); Cross of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany (2006); invited scholar at Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan (2001); and fellow of the Institute for Advanced Studies at the Universities of Jerusalem (1990) and Bologna (2010). Martin Plato received his Diploma in physics and mathematics (1962) and his PhD in natural sciences (1965) from FUB. In 1963, he joined the Research Institute of AEG, Germany, and soon became the head of its Scientific Application Laboratory. In 1971, he moved to the Institute of Experimental Physics of FUB as a senior scientist in the research group of Prof. Möbius. His main activity there was quantum computational work on super-computers for analyzing magnetic resonance spectra and to determine transient molecular intermediates of bioorganic photoreactions (until his retirement in 1997). He continued the magnetic resonance cooperation with Prof. Möbius at FUB until 2020. Since 2014, he has been working with a research team at Wilhelm Foerster Observatory, Berlin, on astrometric problems such as flyby anomaly of solar space vehicles. Anton Savitsky received his Diploma in physics (1993) from Novosibirsk University, Russia, and his PhD (1996) from the University of Zurich, Switzerland. In 1997, he joined the research group of Prof. Möbius as a senior researcher. In 2009, he joined the Max Planck Institute of Bioinorganic Chemistry, Mülheim, Germany, as a research group leader. In 2018, he moved to the Department of Physics at the Technical University Dortmund, Germany. His research focuses on developing magnetic resonance methods, in particular at high magnetic fields, and their applications in biology, chemistry, medicine, and physics. |
