Max Planck - Mathematician (Germany)
Max Planck was a German theoretical physicist who is widely regarded as the founder of quantum theory. Born in 1858, he went on to become one of the most influential physicists of the 20th century. He studied mathematics and physics at the University of Munich and obtained his doctorate in 1879. He then held various academic posts in Germany before becoming professor of theoretical physics at the University of Berlin in 1889.
Throughout his career, Planck made numerous groundbreaking discoveries in the field of quantum mechanics and thermodynamics. He formulated the famous Planck's law of black-body radiation in 1900, and received the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1918 for his contributions. He also introduced the concept of energy quanta and developed the principle of energy conservation.
Planck remained active in the academic community until his death in 1947. He wrote over 300 scientific papers and several books, including Treatise on Thermodynamics and Introduction to Theoretical Physics. Planck's work laid the foundations of modern physics, and he is remembered as one of the most influential physicists of the 20th century.