1843-1921

German mathematician who worked on determining surfaces of least area and the conformal mapping of polyhedral surfaces onto spherical surfaces. His work on least-area (or minimal) surfaces was a problem of the calculus of variations. Such surfaces are used today as, among other things, the tops of large tented structures and are also called "soap bubble" surfaces. Schwartz was also a member of the local Volunteer Fire Brigade and assisted the local railway stationmaster.