Arne Beurling
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Arne Carl-August Beurling (February 3, 1905 - November 20, 1986) was a mathematician and professor of mathematics at Uppsala University (1937-1954) and later at the Institute for Advanced Study at Princeton, USA.
Arne Beurling worked extensively in harmonic analysis, complex analysis and potential theory.
In 1940 he single-handedly decyphered and reverse-engineered an early version of the Geheimfernschreiber (one of the "Fish cyphers") used by Nazi Germany, and created a device that enabled Sweden to decypher German teleprinter traffic passing through Sweden from Norway on a cable. In this way, Swedish authorities knew about Operation Barbarossa before it occurred. This became the foundation for the Swedish Swedish National Defence Radio Establishment (FRA).
One of the branch libraries of Uppsala University Library, the library for mathematics and computer science, is named after Arne Beurling.
Arne Beurling's great-grandfather was Per Henric Beurling (1758 (or 1763) - 1806), who founded a high quality clock factory in Stockholm in 1783.
External links
- Arne Beurling and the success of Swedish Signal Intelligence (http://frode.home.cern.ch/frode/ulfving/ulfving.html)