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David Hilbert Facts & Worksheets

David Hilbert was a German mathematician who lived to become one of the most influential mathematicians in his field during the 19th and 20th centuries.

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David Hilbert was a German mathematician who lived to become one of the most influential mathematicians in his field during the 19th and 20th centuries. He established fundamental mathematical concepts such as the foundations of geometry, the invariant theory, the calculus of variations, commutative algebra, algebraic number theory, and work in integral equations.

See the fact file below for more information on David Hilbert, or you can download our 27-page David Hilbert worksheet pack to utilize within the classroom or home environment.

Key Facts & Information

EARLY LIFE AND EDUCATION

  • David Hilbert was born on January 23, 1862, in Königsberg or Wehlau in the Kingdom of Prussia. 
  • Today, David’s hometown is named Kaliningrad or Znamensk in Kaliningrad Oblast, Russia.
  • Hilbert was born the eldest child and only son of Otto Hilbert, a county judge whose father was a high-ranking judge, and Maria Therese Erdtmann, a woman from a merchant family whose main interests lay in philosophy and astronomy.
  • At six years old, Hilbert became an older brother to his sister Elsie.
  • Hilbert was raised with a strict upbringing by his father and was homeschooled by his mother until he was eight years old.
  • His mother, Maria, an enthusiast of prime numbers, was the reason David grew a particular interest in mathematics.
  • The first school Hilbert attended was the Friedrichskolleg Gymnasium, which coincidentally was the same school German philosopher Immanuel Kant attended 140 years prior.
  • Even though the Friedrichskolleg Gymnasium was reputedly the best school in Königsberg, there was more focus on studying languages than mathematics.
  • In his final year in high school, Hilbert transferred to the Wilhelm Gymnasium, which specialized more in maths and sciences.
  • After graduating from high school, he matriculated at the University of Königsberg in the autumn of 1880.
  • There he would meet his lifelong friend and fellow mathematician, Hermann Minkowski.
  • In 1884, he also met Adolf Hurwitz who was appointed Professor Extraordinarius (i.e., associate professor) at the University.
  • Adolf would also become a close friend and a major influence on Hilbert’s work.
  • Hilbert would exchange mathematical ideas with Hermann and Adolf for the rest of their careers.
  • In 1885, Hilbert obtained his doctorate from the University of Königsberg, with his dissertation titled “On the invariant properties of special binary forms, in particular, the spherical harmonic functions.”

PROFESSORSHIP

  • From 1886 until 1892, Hilbert worked as a Privatdozent (i.e., senior lecturer or assistant professor) at the University of Königsberg.
  • He was then appointed Extraordinarius for one year, then rose to become an Ordinarius (i.e., full professor) in 1893.
  • His teaching stint at Königsberg ended in 1895 when he accepted the position of Professor of Mathematics at the University of Göttingen, where he spent the rest of his career.
  • The University of Götinggen was considered the most reputable institution in the field of mathematics at the time.
  • Other notable professors of mathematics who worked there included Felix Klein, Emmy Noether, Bernhard Riemann, Carl Friedrich Gauss, and Peter Dirichlet.
  • The Mathematical Institute at Götinggen became a prominent institute, attracting visitors and students from all around the globe.
  • As a professor, Hilbert’s students were world champion chess player Emanuel Lasker, logician Carl Gustav Hempel, and influential 20th-century mathematicians Hermann Weyl and Ernst Zermelo.
  • The University of Götinggen was also the institution where three winners of the Nobel Prize for Physics (Max von Laue in 1914; James Franck in 1925; and Werner Heisenberg) flourished in their careers while Hilbert worked there.
  • From 1902 to 1939, David was the editor of the leading mathematical journal Mathematische Annalen.

MAJOR CONTRIBUTIONS

  • Throughout his academic career, Hilbert was recognized for many significant contributions and revolutionary ideas. 
  • In fact, many mathematical terms were named after him, such as Hilbert’s basis theorem, Hilbert’s axioms, Hilbert’s problems, Hilbert’s program, and Hilbert spaces, among others.
  • Hilbert’s basis theorem – As early as 1888, he proved the finite basis theorem for any number of variables, which became a fundamental concept in algebraic number theory.
    • Hilbert’s axioms – In 1899, he published “Foundations of Geometry,” wherein he put forward a new set of geometrical axioms, now known as Hilbert’s axioms, which replaced the earlier work of Euclid.
    • Hilbert’s problems – To further advance the course of mathematics, Hilbert outlined 23 problems that were all unsolved at the time of its publication in 1900. 
    • The problems that famously remain unsolved are the Riemann Hypothesis, the Kronecker-Weber theorem extension, and the problem of the topology of algebraic curves and surfaces.
    • Hilbert’s program – Hilbert proposed a clarifying solution to the phenomenal crisis of paradoxes and inconsistencies in mathematics.
    • Hilbert space – he extended the methods of vector algebra and calculus to be used in any number of dimensions.
    • Hilbert’s problems paved the way for the development of formalism, a major school of thought in 20th-century mathematics.
    • Not only did David Hilbert contribute to mathematics but also to subjects in physics; his work on kinetic gas theory and the theory of radiations are still relevant to this day.

HONORS AND AWARDS

  • In 1910, David Hilbert was awarded the Bolyai Prize, which is awarded to mathematicians for monographs with significant new results in the previous 10 years.
  • In 1928 he was elected for a fellowship at the Royal Society of London.
  • In 1930 Königsberg made Hilbert an honorary citizen following his retirement. 
  • In 1939 the Swedish Academy of Sciences awarded him, along with French mathematician Émile Picard, the first-ever Mittag-Leffler prize.
  • He became an honorary member of the London Mathematical Society in 1901 and the German Mathematical Society in 1942.

LATER YEARS

  • David Hilbert suffered from pernicious anemia in 1925, followed by a vitamin deficiency that caused him to be exhausted frequently. 
  • Eugene Wigner, Hilbert’s assistant in his later years, described the mathematician’s situation as “enormous fatigue.”
  • In 1930 Hilbert retired from his professorial work in Götinggen and was replaced by Hermann Weyl.
  • Hermann, along with Hilbert’s other colleagues at the University of Götinggen, was forced to leave Germany in 1933 due to the Nazi purge.
  • Other faculty members forced out by the purge were Emmy Noether, Edmund Landau, and Paul Bernays, who collaborated with Hilbert in studying mathematical logic.

PERSONAL LIFE, AWARDS, AND LEGACY

  • In 1892, Hilbert married Käthe Jerosch, a woman from a German-Jewish family.
  • Franz Hilbert, David and Käthe’s only child, was born in 1893 and lived until 1969. 
  • Franz suffered from one or more mental disorders and intellectual challenges throughout his life, which caused disappointment to Hilbert. 
  • Käthe died in 1945, approximately two years after Hilbert’s death.
  • Before Hilbert became an agnostic later in life, he was originally baptized and raised as a Calvinist in the Prussian Evangelical Church.

DEATH

  • At 81 years old, David Hilbert died on February 14, 1943, in Göttingen.
  • His funeral was attended by less than a dozen people since most of his former colleagues were banished for being Jewish or being married to one during the Nazi regime.

David Hilbert Worksheets

This fantastic bundle includes everything you need to know about David Hilbert across 27 in-depth pages. These ready-to-use worksheets are perfect for teaching kids about David Hilbert. He established fundamental mathematical concepts such as the foundations of geometry, the invariant theory, the calculus of variations, commutative algebra, algebraic number theory, and work in integral equations.

Complete List of Included Worksheets

Below is a list of all the worksheets included in this document.

  1. David Hilbert Facts
  2. Hilbert’s Early Life
  3. Wrong About David
  4. Correct Timeline
  5. Hilbert Terms
  6. Work Search
  7. Close Friends
  8. Götinggen Greats
  9. My Own Problem Set
  10. Certificate of Honor
  11. Learning From Hilbert

Frequently Asked Questions

Who was David Hilbert?

David Hilbert (1862-1943) was a German mathematician and one of the most influential mathematicians of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. He made significant contributions to various areas of mathematics, including algebra, number theory, mathematical physics, and the foundations of mathematics.

What are some of David Hilbert’s notable contributions to mathematics?

Hilbert made numerous important contributions to mathematics. He formulated a set of 23 unsolved problems, known as “Hilbert’s Problems,” which had a profound impact on the development of 20th-century mathematics. He also played a key role in the development of mathematical logic and formalism, working on axiomatizing various branches of mathematics.

What are “Hilbert’s Problems”?

“Hilbert’s Problems” refers to a list of 23 unsolved problems in mathematics that Hilbert presented in a famous lecture at the International Congress of Mathematicians in 1900. These problems covered various areas of mathematics and served as a guide for research in the field for many years. Many of these problems have since been solved, leading to significant advancements in mathematics.

How did David Hilbert contribute to the foundations of mathematics?

Hilbert made significant contributions to the foundations of mathematics through his work on mathematical logic and formalism. He proposed a rigorous axiomatic approach to mathematics, aiming to establish the logical foundations of various mathematical disciplines. Hilbert’s formalism had a profound impact on mathematical thinking and helped establish the concept of proof theory.

What is Hilbert’s most famous quote?

One of Hilbert’s most famous quotes is, “We must know; we will know.” This quote reflects his strong belief in the power of mathematics and its ability to uncover truths about the universe. It exemplifies his optimism and dedication to the pursuit of knowledge in mathematics.

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