HUNGARIAN MATHEMATICIANS AND PHYSICISTS

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP83-00415R012400160001-5
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 7
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 29, 2012
• Sequence Number: 1
• Publication Date: August 15, 1952
• Content Type: REPORT

50X1-HIJM
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.FORM M:J`'
COUNTRY Hungary
CLASSIFICATION
SECURIT4I T F0I NATION
CENTR.~i+L" INTELLIGENCE AGENCY REPORT
INFORMATION REPORT CD NO.
SUBJECT Hungarian Mathematicians and Physicists 14
PLACE
ACQUI1RED
DAT E OF
ACQUIRES
I THIS DOCUMENT CONTAINS INFORMATION AFFECTING THE NATIONAL DEFENSE
OF THE NITED STATES WITHIN THE MEANING OF THE ESPIONAGE ACT 50
U
5. C..U31 AND 32. AS AMENDED. ITS TRANSMISSION OR THE REVELATION
OF ITS CONTENTS IN ANY MANNER TO AN UNAUTHORIZED PERSON IS PRO
HIBITED BY LAW. REPRODUCTION OF THIS FORM IS PROHIBITCO
Distribution: OSI
OCD
DATE DISTR. 15 August 1952
NO. OF PAGES 1
SUPPLEMENT TO
REPORT NO.
THIS IS UNEVALUATED INFORMATION
THIS DOCUMENT HAS AN ENCLOSURE ATTACHED -
DO NOT DETACH
50X1-HUM
CLASSIFICATION SECRET/CONTROL - U.S. OFFICIALS ONLY'
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tioa
4) Recent publications and especially the KOSSUTH awards show
that mathematicians in Hungary continue to work on pre-War lines.
L. K,AALAroR is
working on rather abstruse problems of mathematical logic - .na
,.rot a KO S SUTH Award for it; Finsler spaces (0. V 11RGA) represent
a generalization of Ricmann-spaces ( which in turn are Non-
Euclidean spaces); They have recently attracted attention 050X1-HUM
with general unitary theories, in Physics. (FINSL4R's
dissertation of 1918 has just been reprinted). 50X1-HUM
Hilbert spaces (B. SZ. -NAGY)do not derive from geometry, they
represent a set of functions satisfying certain integrability,
conditions etc. in such a way that certain transformations, and
considerations of geometry may apply; originating 'in the theory
of into -al equations they play a great role in Q.111. where for
instance the wave equati~;ns form a Hilbert space. Group
theory (G, HiLJOS, T.SZELE, L. RZIDEI) and special problems of Math.
analysis especially theory of series (1L~~XITS, m.~ ROZSA, TURAN)
form the bulk of the mathematical work t,-.)-day, y, 50X1-HUM
5) The KOSSUTH Prizes have indeed been awarded to the more
prominent scientists - though none is of real international fame,
the mathematicians at lcaot are prominent among their colleagues
in HT1!7(".'1RY and well deserve an award, It is more difficult ;to
ascertain the importance )f some of the physicists as recent
publie:ati:rns in physics are even less available than those in
mathematics.
It seems that especially the middle-aged generation (30"50
years) is rather lacking in outstanding scientists - a fact noted
already in other countr. ies 50X1-HUM
The last two or three years show a mare recovery in
scientific. work in HUNGARY; normal eonditi ins have been
restored, quantity and quality of work is improving, The
scarcity of information makes it impossible to give a fair
judgment and to forecast the future development.
considerable. effort is certainly being made in technical
applications of. S'cie nce., Significant is the foundation of a
new Technical University at VLSZPR=,'M (in additifin to MISKOLC
and BUDA1,PJ T) .
Priroda of January 1952 mentions the Chemical University at
V~sSZPR1M under the able directorship of Doctor Karoly POLINSKI.
The 1st Congress. of Chemistry was held in November 1951.
(Priro)da Jan. 1952).
6) Scientific papers are still written in Western languages,
Contact with the West is stressed in many ways. For example'
there has been a special issue of the Aeta SZECT ~D in honour of
L. PEJ]!R e Fr.RIESZ with many foreign contributions.
SEC R1~T/G ONT O1 US .../.,.
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!ROL
TII , ,C ET1C''
1 lkj 50X1-HUM
The statutes of the "reforrte'd"Academy of Sciences admit
Foreign Members and significantly state that Hungarian scientists
living abroad working in the interest of the Hungarian people
can be elected Full Members or Foreign Honorary Members.
This indeed is the point of importance : to win over and
exploit Western scientists; it is not any weakness in the Soviet
framework.
Quite a number of popular science booklets have been
published in HUNfARY. It is important to note that most of
them seem to be translations of Russian booklets. It would be
waste to write "national"popular science books, but. no doubt,
the Hungarians have so far developed less energy and drive tt}an
for instance the Poles.
Satellite scientists arc very seldom publishing - or quoted
in Russian scientific publications; Hungarians, so far, have not
come to our attention; this appears to be a question of merit
only, no politics seem to be involved. In popular articles the
Hun,,-r.,'arians are not ne:r lected by t1'_e Russians; the article in the
new odition of the Soviet Encyclopedia is rather flattering and,
also mentions a number of deceased scientists of no special
importance.
Notes on the Hun?arian Academy of Sciences.
1) The old Academy was founded in 1825, The Communists
started in 1948 to tevolutionise matters. Side by side with
the Academy was founded a "Scientific Centre" under the leader-
ship of Brno GERO. A number of scientists, among them the
physicist P. GOI;73AS demanded a reorganization of the Academy,
2) In a general session of the Academy on 31st October 1949
new statutes were worked out and a Temporary Committee elected
which included Gyula NEPJETH, Jozsef MAREK, the mathematician
Fr.RIESZ etc. In a new session on 30th November 1949 the
leading organs of the "reformed" Academy were electe
3) There is a pracsidium of 15; the president is elected for
3 years; there are 2 vice-presidents and 1 secretary; members
.totalled ( in 1950) 59 full Members and 69 Corresponding Members.
It was stipulated that ti-here should be in addition to Honorary
Members, Full Members, Corresponding Members, also Consultative
Members and F?.reign Honorary Members. I
4) Members- of the old Academy who were not re-elected for tae
new Academy might participate in the creative work of the Academy
with the right of consultative vote and rank as Consultative
Members, they can be elected to vacant scats of Full or Corr,
Members. Hungarian scientists abroad can be elected Foreign'
Honorary Members :50X1-HUM
5)
0 (1 -CL t
General Sec. Gy3rgy ALXITS (Mathematics)
11cmbers of Praesidium~ 950)
President Istvan RUSZNYAK (prof.of Therapy, KOSSUTH Prime)
Vice-Pres. Lajos LIGETI (Orientalist)
Pal GOPMBAS (Theoretical Physics. )
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__.....a,,, . / %A '-1"4 1 r ota, U `J 50X1-HUM
TV OFFICIALS. ONLY
Membcrs of the Praesidium
Gygrgy LUKAOS ......................... (Philosophy)
Karoly NOVOBATZKY ..................... (Theoretical Physics)
Erik PNOL'TAR .......................?... (History)
Tibor LRDELEY-rRUZ .................... (Physical Chemistry)
Bruno STRAUB........................ .. (Bio-chemistry)
Presidents of the 6 sections
Literature and Language ............... Gyula NEMETH (Turkology)
Social Sciences & History ............. Bela FOGARASI (Philosophy)
Natural Sciences & IVlathernatics........ Fr.RIESZ (Mathematics)
Biology & Agricultural Sciences....... Jozsef l~i.!~72 aK (Veterinary Sc.
Medecine.............................. Geza ILLYES (Surgeon)
Technical Sciences..................... Gyozo MIHAILICH
(Bridge Construction)
6) There is also a Chemistry Group; there are 117 Special
C.omrrmissions & Institutes of Biology, Electron-Microscopy,
Applied Mathematics, Sdsmology etc; there is a special
laboratory for Vacuum technique, an Astronomical Observatory,
a Library (containing over 900,000 volumes).
1)
Notes on KOSSUTH Awards.
I~03SUTH awards were first made in 191+8 for outstanding work
of a life-time. In 19119 they were given for such achievements
since World War II. In 1950 it was decided to make awards in
roco nition of outstanding work during the past year.
Awards given for work in the field of mathematics, physics
and related subjects :-
a) 125O : L. REDEI (1st Pr. 2.0,000 forints) Math.
Theory of numbers and group thee y.
L.KEIL11AR(2nd Pr.10,000 forints)Math. P!Iath.Logic.
B. SKO'_:EFALVI-- (2nd Fr. 10,000 f. )Math. Hilbert spaces
NAGY and Fourier series.
P. G011BAS (1st Pr.20,000 f.) Phys. Structure of metals
jointly with Atomic Phys.,electron-phys,
Th. I\TUGEBAUR
P. GONBAS received in 1948 a KOSSUTH
award for research on precious metals
and nuclear physics.
SSE{Ky -1i'0
EICIAL, ONLY .../...
ecurr1t 31 n' urmatiorl
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Z) ct.,rtt I / 1 V N t'iiUL I
'T QF ICIALs ONL.-Y
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b) 1951 Math. G. AT,EXITS (2nd Pr. 10, 000 f .) Or thogo nab. serie s
MvMath. Or. HAJOS (2nd pr. 10, 000 f .) Croup theory
math. P.ROZSA (2nd pr.10,000 f.) Recursive functions.
Phys. L JANOSSY (2nd Pr.10,000 f.) Cosmic Rays
Phys. I.KOVACS (2nd Pr.10,000 f.) MJolecular spectra
jointly
with
A. BUDO
c)
1952 Over 1,000,000 forints wore distributed : one prize of
50,000 f on nt s, 14 of 20, OOC L, 68 of 10,000 f.
Math. P. TUR:',N (20,000 forints) Math. analysis.
Math. 0. VAC1A (10,000 f.) differential geometry,
especially Finsler spaces.
Math. T. SZELE (10,000 f.) Abolean groups.
Phys. P. SELENYI (10,000 f.) Optics.
Phys. K. SIMOUYI (10,000 f.) High voltage accelerators.
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